11 major cyclones hit Bangladesh since 1965 [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

11 major cyclones hit Bangladesh since 1965

Local May 30, 2017

At least eleven major tropical cyclones accompanied by storm surges lashed the country since 1965, leaving 474,705 people dead, according to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
The ministry’s cyclone preparedness plan published in March 2016 and causality list of the Cyclone Roanu and Mahasen said that Bangladesh was one of the worst sufferers of cyclones in terms of casualties.
With about 700km coastal line Bangladesh is exposed to cyclone, said the cyclone preparedness plan.
The heavy causalities are due to the fact that cyclones always come with storm surges, it said.
It said that 70 cyclones hit Bangladesh causing death of several lakh people and loss of several billion US dollars.
The plan said that since 1980, overall disasters caused a loss of at least $17 billion.
The November 12, 1970 cyclone was devastating and deadliest ever that hit Bangladesh coastline. With a wind speed of about 224km per hour and associated storm surges of 6-10 metre, it killed about 300,000 people.
On April 30, 1990, another severe cyclone packing winds of 220 km per hour and 6-7 metre storm surge hit the country leaving 138,882 people dead.
At least 19,279 people died as a cyclone swept over the coastline on May 11, 1965 with a wind speed of about 160 km per hour associated with storm surge of 3.7-7.6 metre.
On December 15, 1965, another cyclone packing with winds of about 217 km per hour and 2.3-3.6 metre storm surges hit the country causing death of 873 people.
About 850 people died as a cyclone hit the country’s coastal area on October 1, 1966 with a wind speed of about 139 km per hour associated with storm surges of 6-7 metre.
On May 25, 1985, another cyclone with winds of 155 km per hour and 3.4-4.6 metre storm surges hit Bangladesh leaving at least 11,069 people dead.
On May 19, 1997, a cyclone with a wind speed of about 230 km per hour lashed the coastal line killing 155 people.
Cyclone Sidr slammed the country’s coastal belt on November 15, 2007 with a wind speed of 223 km per hour that took 3,363 lives.
Cyclone Aila landed in Bangladesh on May 25, 2009 killing about 190 people.
On May 16, 2013 cyclone Mahasen caused death of 17 people while cyclone Roanu killed 27 people on May 21. 2016, said disaster ministry’s loss estimation reports.