Bangladesh cyclone of 1991
The Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, one of the deadliest cyclones in history, struck on April 29, claiming between 138,000 to 145,000 lives. Forming in the Indian Ocean, it was known as Cyclone 2B and made landfall near Chittagong, impacting approximately 13.4 million people across the country. Despite advance warnings, many residents either did not receive the information or did not take it seriously, leading to a tragic loss of life. The cyclone caused severe destruction, demolishing over 79,000 buildings including schools and health facilities, and devastating the nation's agricultural sector. The storm's aftermath was marked by significant health challenges, with diseases spreading in temporary shelters due to overcrowding and lack of clean water. Recovery efforts were hampered by continuous rains, and it is estimated that an additional 2,000 people died from health complications following the disaster. In response to the tragedy, the Bangladesh government has since taken measures to improve storm preparedness, including the construction of more shelters and public education on disaster readiness, leading to a notable reduction in casualties during subsequent storms.
Bangladesh cyclone of 1991
Date: April 29, 1991
Place: Bangladesh, South Asia
Result: 138,000 people killed, nearly as many injured; 10 million residents left homeless; $1.5 billion in damage
Overview
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department reports that since 1876, the country has been in the path of ten cyclones that claimed at least 5,000 lives. The storm that hit on April 29, 1991, was among the most deadly in the country’s history. By the time it was over, at least 138,000 people had been killed; some estimates place the fatalities as high as 145,000. It is estimated about the same number of people were injured.
Cyclones are severe weather events with high winds and heavy rain that build over oceans. Storms that form in the Atlantic are called hurricanes, while the same type of storms that form over the Pacific or Indian Oceans are called typhoons and cyclones, respectively. The storm that struck Bangladesh in 1991 formed in the Indian Ocean and was known there as Cyclone 2B; other areas referred to the same event as Cyclone Gorky or Cyclone Marian, depending on the weather-watching agency involved. Not all cyclones make landfall, but the 1991 storm did and covered nearly the entirety of the 57,321 square miles that make up the country. About 13.4 million people were in the path of the storm.
Disaster Warning
Natural disasters such as earthquakes or volcanoes give little or no warning, but tropical storms can be observed developing over several days. Forecasters saw the beginnings of the cyclone on April 22 and declared it a tropical depression on April 24. By April 27, it had reached cyclone levels and was continuing to grow in size and strength. On April 28 and 29, the storm picked up speed until it had 160 mile-per-hour winds associated with a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest rating given to Atlantic storms. By the time the storm made landfall near Chittagong, Bangladesh, late in the day on April 29, forecasters and officials had been warning for days that an intense storm was about to hit.
Bangladesh had storm shelters built after a 1970 cyclone claimed more than 300,000 lives. However, in 1991, many residents either did not receive warnings or did not find them credible. Many did not seek shelter, or they waited until the storm was already in full force before they attempted to move to safe dwellings. Some were unable to get to a shelter, while others found the shelters in their areas were full. Despite these challenges, it is estimated that at least two million people did seek shelter more substantial than the mud huts where many in the country live, preventing a greater loss of life.
Aftermath
In addition to the lives lost, the storm caused devastating damage to homes and livelihoods across Bangladesh. The national government estimated that upwards of 79,000 buildings were destroyed, including more than 9,000 schools and at least 650 health facilities. Utilities and transportation infrastructure such as roads sustained heavy damage, and ponds and other sources of freshwater were contaminated by salinized seawater. The port and many other sources of industry were also damaged.
The storm also caused significant damage to the agriculture that is so important to the area for food and income. Grain and rice crops were destroyed, and tools and seeds needed to plant fresh crops became scarce. Nearly three million livestock animals, including cattle, goats, and fowl, were killed by the storm, and there was little feed left for animals that survived. The fish hatcheries, forests, and plantations that provided jobs for many residents were also devastated. The cost of damage from the storm was estimated at nearly $1.8 billion.
Health Issues
Those who survived the initial disaster still faced many challenges. Most of the victims drowned and some were never recovered, but there were still many bodies that needed to be removed to prevent health concerns. Rains continued for many days after the storm passed, making rescue efforts difficult and adding to the misery of people living in temporary shelters. Close living conditions, lack of clean drinking water, and limited sanitation facilities led to the spread of intestinal diseases and dysentery. It is estimated that an additional 2,000 people died of these causes within a month of the storm.
Impact
The damage from the storm lingered for many months afterward. The high winds and heavy rains caused deforestation and the erosion of coastal embankments that required money, effort, and time to replace. Government agencies assisted in the recovery by planting mangrove trees and other vegetation. It was hoped this would stabilize the land and help maintain the costal embankments that prevent saltwater from entering the freshwater supply.
The 1991 storm also helped officials identify issues with the country’s storm warning and shelter systems. It was noted that areas where shelters were utilized experienced fewer casualties, but the storm also revealed that there were not enough shelters available. The country’s officials began plans to increase the size and number of shelters so that more people could take advantage of them and to make certain there was more room within the shelters to comfortably house people for longer stretches of time. As a result, casualties from subsequent cyclones have been significantly lower, generally numbering in the hundreds instead of the hundreds of thousands.
Government officials also noted after the 1991 storm that greater efforts needed to be made to educate people on how to prepare for a storm, such as ways to store food and water as well as how to better protect livestock when a cyclone is expected.
Bibliography
"Bangladesh Cyclone of 1991." USAID. United States Agency for International Aid, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.
Berke, Richard L. "U.S. Sends Troops to Aid Bangladesh in Cyclone Relief." New York Times. New York Times, 12 May 1991. Web. 17 May 2016.
Dolce, Chris. "The Storm That Killed 300,000." Hurricane News: The Weather Channel. Weather Channel, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 May 2016.
Habib, Mehrab Masayeed. "Remembering 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone." News Hour. News Hour, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.
Haque, Ubydul et al. "Reduced Death Rates from Cyclones in Bangladesh: What More Needs to Be Done?" WHO. World Health Organization, 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 May 2016.