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Essay / The Catastrophic Cyclone of April 1991 in Bangladesh
Natural disasters are those that no one can control. They bring great destruction as well as life-changing scenarios. An example of a natural disaster would be a cyclone. The best way to describe a cyclone is to compare it to a hurricane: they are both storms that revolve around a midpoint of low atmospheric pressure. The only difference between the two is that they occur in different locations and therefore have different names. As current students of physical geography, we all need to be aware of past, current and future disasters as they enlighten us to understand the resulting effects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. For example, the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991 was a horrific natural disaster that extremely released its meteorology in a form that seriously impacted the physical geography, population and economy of Bangladesh. Between April 24 and 30, a massive cyclone passed through southern Bangladesh, an area extremely prone to natural disasters in the tropics. Low-lying areas are at high risk of tropical disasters, whether they like it or not. “The coastal lands of Bangladesh (710 km long) are of recent origin and result from a process of sedimentation. Most parts of the area are therefore low lying land which may be subject to flooding even under normal tidal circumstances. A tidal wave accompanied by a cyclonic storm makes the situation alarming, further exacerbated by the triangular shape of the Bay of Bengal. The surrounding towns on the Bay of Bengal have obviously witnessed and experienced many storms from the Indian Ocean. You could say that Mother Nature is at her angriest when cycling in this specific area. I would like to say that everyone who has lived in this region is adapted to the lifestyle of those who survive natural disasters and then recover from them. The severe cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1991 was a difficult tropical disaster to overcome. It formed on April 24 and gradually got worse. The tropical storm started in the northern hemisphere of the Indian Ocean, in the water body of the Bay of Bengal. From there, it began to transform into a broader and subsequently more aggressive hurricane range. On April 25, the storm's depression strengthened into a more intense cyclonic storm. Even though the cyclone was becoming more and more intense, it was the next day that it decided to move towards the northwest region of the Bay of Bengal. The specifics of the storm are as follows: "On the 28th and 29th, as the system increased its speed by 2 toward the north-northeast, the cyclone rapidly intensified to produce sustained winds of 160 mph ( 260 km/h), the equivalent of 160 mph (260 km/h). a Category 5 hurricane. Late on the 29th, Cyclone 02B made landfall a short distance south of Chittagong as a slightly weaker Category 4 cyclone, reaching 250 km/h. The storm quickly weakened over land and dissipated on the 30th over Southeast Asia” (IPFS). As you can see, the winds were strong and very disruptive, along with the water and debris mixed in with them. Strong winds and tidal waves caused severe water surges in surrounding areas, which flooded villages. Bangladesh has never experienced a tropical storm beyond the logistics of this one. The intensity of the storm significantly damaged the physical geography of the neighboring areas of the Bay of Bengal. The wavestides reached 25 feet high, causing extreme flooding that destroyed the coastal region and many agricultural farms. Huge amounts of land erosion occurred even within weeks of the cyclone, worsening the situation for farmers and industrial workers. Seeing the specifics of the cyclone allows us to see and understand what factors may have disappeared in the survival of their people. Citizens of the areas that experienced the cyclone were solemnly touched in a way that will never be forgotten. Although the cyclone was huge and very disruptive, some of their citizens decided to stay in the area because they were loyal to the fertile lands. That being said, most were swept away by the cyclone. In fact, “the best estimates put the loss of life at between 135,000 and 145,000 people” (Author). The majority of people drowned in the tidal wave that accompanied the horrible storm. In addition to drowning, people suffered from explosive diarrhea, which was one of the storm's only side effects. Diseases and bacteria were believed to travel in the cyclone waters. Not only did the cyclone itself claim lives, but its aftermath was absolutely petrifying for those who survived. Millions of people were left homeless and began to starve because the storm swept away most of their livestock and crops. "Mr. Kader, his wife and three children survived because they were evacuated to a shelter, although they lost their house and belongings. "I have been waiting for food since this morning and for now it is "There's nothing," Kader said (CSMONITOR). These people were very lucky to survive, but the only hope they had was to have food to feed them. This gives us a good insight of what life was like for survivors Bangladesh built shelters after the severe cyclone of 1970 and, although they saved more lives than before, the number of people outside the shelters was greater than before. that of the protected people. “Although 95 percent of the population surveyed had been warned of the cyclone four or four hours before it struck, the 300 existing cyclone shelters had the capacity to accommodate only 450,000 of the people. 5,000,000 people affected by the cyclone” (Author). Approximately 550,000 people found themselves in danger and exposed to the cyclone. These poor people suffered from this disaster and left physical and emotional scars. Apart from seeing how this disaster affected the people of Bangladesh, it also had serious consequences on their economy. Facing such a tragic disaster has obviously had a negative impact on the economy of Bangladesh. If you think about it, all the damage caused by the cyclone had to be repaired by the government, which required a lot of capital and resources. The government had to fund those who were left homeless, those who lost their jobs, the damage caused, etc. The total estimated damage from the cyclone was $1.5 billion, so the economy definitely took a downward spiral after that. disaster. The list of things that needed to be repaired or repurchased is long, for example: “The cyclone uprooted a 100-ton crane from the Chittagong port and smashed it on the Karnaphuli River Bridge, breaking it into two parts. A large number of boats and small vessels ran aground. The Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force, both of which had bases in Chittagong, were also badly hit. The Isha Khan naval base in Patenga was flooded, causing heavy damage to ships. Most aircraft.