Attachments
The coastal areas of Bangladesh are hit by cyclones almost every year, with the highest wind speed reaching up to 220 km/hr and a tidal range of 3m high that may increase up to 7m further west at the entrance of the Meghna Estuary, to the East of Bhola (UNDP 2010). Cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal, mainly occurs pre and post monsoon season, between April-May and October-November. The most cyclone affected Districts are; Khulna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Noakhali and Chittagong. This region also comprises of small and large offshore islands of Bhola, Hatiya, Sandwip, Manpura, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Nijhum Dwip, Urir Char and many other newly formed char islands. Annually, between five and six kilometres of the coastlines of Sandwip and Kutubdia islands, as well as between two to three kilometres of Chakoria coastal area, become inundated by high tide or storm surges associated with cyclones (Alam and Collins 2010).
Previous cyclones of the past five years, demonstrate that a pre-monsoon cyclone is twice as likely to occur, than a post-monsoon cyclone. However, a post-monsoon cyclone is likely to have a more devastating impact and be super cyclones.
The storm surges that accompany cyclones cause more destruction than strong winds associated with cyclones. Storm surges are the main cause of death during a cyclone disaster, due to drowning. Further damage is caused by inundation of low-lying coastal areas, erosion, and damage to soil fertility because of saltwater intrusion and damage/loss of buildings and transport networks (WMO 2007). Cyclones that make landfall at high tide create higher storm surges and are therefore more destructive. Tidal bore can also be found in the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh during the months of April-May, and also between September-December. Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, Noakhali, Patuakhali, Barguna, and Khulna are high risk areas for tidal bore.