TC SIDR Aftermath : Photos,Videos and News

[Derek Ortt]

it's nighttime there, so we likely won't be receiving any more reports for the next several hours

[WindRunner]

I got a shock this afternoon when I saw the WP article showing a ">1100" death toll . . . still makes me shudder that it's already happened and no one really knows how bad it was . . .

[Chacor]

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):

Significant and wide-spread storm damage is expected throughout Bangladesh. Joint assessment teams were launched, however information collection on casualty and damage figures are in the early stages and hindered as communication on off-shore islands remains cut off. Initial unconfirmed reports indicate that the death toll is over 1,100 people, with reports of over 15,000 people injured. Three coastal towns (Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalakathi) with a combined population of 700,000 were inundated by a 5 meter (15 feet) high water surge triggered by the cyclone. Over 20,000 houses damaged in the two worst affected districts and at least 30,000 families affected in two reported districts out of the 15 hardest hit districts. Reports from Cox's Bazaar indicate that quite a number of fishermen remain missing.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db9 ... 000208-BGD

[Chacor]

BBC's extensive coverage of on-the-ground first-hand reporting (they were lucky to have Western reporters in Bangladesh!) continues:

Bangladesh victims run for their lives
By Alastair Lawson-Tancred
BBC News, Bangladesh

Many people were left destitute by the devastating effects of the storm
People in the tiny village of Chila, near the southern Bangladeshi port town of Mongla, have a traumatised look on their faces.

"On Thursday night it felt as we would be blown away along with our houses," said Mohammed, describing the storm that swept the roof off his home.

Around 10 million people living in Bangladesh's coastal were given more than 48 hours warning of the impending storm.

Like many others in this isolated rural community adjoining the Bay of Bengal, Mohammed fled to one of hundreds of cyclone shelters along the southern Bangladeshi coast.

He did so after the authorities launched a huge operation to warn people of the dangers of the storm through megaphone announcements and newspaper announcements.

There were even reports of police forcing people to go into cyclone shelters.

But whatever the tactics of the police and government, there is little doubt that as a result, thousands of lives were saved.

That is clear when you hear what happened to those who were unable or unwilling to run for cover.

"When we retuned to our houses from the shelter on Friday morning we could see bodies that had been washed up in the sea," he said.

"They were either fishermen who had ignored the cyclone warning or they were people who lived on a nearby island who were unable to get to a shelter."

In previous cyclones that have hit Bangladesh over the last 20 years fishermen in the Bay of Bengal have formed the bulk of the casualties.

That again appears to be the case in the latest storm, as villagers described seeing boats bringing in the dead.

They say it is those living in remote areas - especially those who live on numerous river islands in this part of Bangladesh known as chars - who have suffered the worst.

It will take time for the authorities to reach these areas and find out exactly how many people have been killed.

In some respects people in this part of Bangladesh got off lightly.

They point out that the worst of the storm struck when the tide was slow, thereby abating a much feared tidal surge, which experts warned beforehand could wipe out entire communities.

Nearby the village is the port town of Mongla.

It has been shrouded in darkness because the storm cut all electricity supplies.

Trees on the approach to the town lay strewn by the side of the road, and many rice paddy fields have been destroyed.

All around the town it is possible to see houses whose corrugated iron roofs have literally been torn off.

The streets are deserted, but inside the town's main hotel there is no shortage of survival stories, including one man who narrowly avoided a falling tree.

There is a feeling in Mongla that given the severity of the storm, the people of the town have escaped lightly.

As the hotel owner pointed out to me: "On Thursday night we saw a category 10 storm - the highest rating - heading in our direction. We felt doomsday was coming."

"But we are thankful to be alive."

(Category 10 storm meaning that the Bangladesh government raised warning signal 10)

[kd_black]

Images from Potuakhali and Borishal

[Derek Ortt]

does anyone know of a map Bangladesh? I would like to see how close these areas are to the coast.

I am trying to keep my PNJ blog updated on this cyclone http://www.pnj.com/blogs/weather/index.shtml ; however, I am trying to stick with confirmed facts there. I would like to be able to 100% confirm that the deaths so far (in the 1100) were wind and not surge related.

Chacor, do you know about how many bodies are referred to in the BBC article?

[cycloneye]

I found a map of the towns in the area near the coast.

[Derek Ortt]

Thanks, Luis

from that, it looks like Barishal was outside of the surge zone and primarily had severe wind damage

any word from Bhola, which is on 2 rivers?

[kd_black]

Number of People Died in Different Areas of Bangladesh:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Borguna- 165
3.Borishal- 83
4.Potuakhali- 195
5.madanipur- 34
6.Gopalgonj- 25
7.Jhalokathi- 27
8.Bhola- 26
9.Shoriatpur- 20
10.Khulna- 12
11.Foridpur- 6
12.Dhaka- 7
13.Chandpur- 4
14.Narayengonj- 4
15.Shatkhira- 3
16.Munshigonj- 3
17.Joshor- 4
----------------------------
Total- 860

Number of Fishermen Missing:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Chandpur- 3
3.Coxs-bazar- 185
4.Pirozpu- 13
5.Bhola- 150
---------------------------
Total- 965

[kd_black]

Now Bangladesh is facing major electricity issue, drinking water and shelter in the costal areas.
The farmers and shrimp cultivators are in big loss as the Amman (rice) was on the way of harvest and the shrimp farms are flooded.

[CrazyC83]

Number of People Died in Different Areas of Bangladesh:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Borguna- 165
3.Borishal- 83
4.Potuakhali- 195
5.madanipur- 34
6.Gopalgonj- 25
7.Jhalokathi- 27
8.Bhola- 26
9.Shoriatpur- 20
10.Khulna- 12
11.Foridpur- 6
12.Dhaka- 7
13.Chandpur- 4
14.Narayengonj- 4
15.Shatkhira- 3
16.Munshigonj- 3
17.Joshor- 4
----------------------------
Total- 860

Number of Fishermen Missing:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Chandpur- 3
3.Coxs-bazar- 185
4.Pirozpu- 13
5.Bhola- 150
---------------------------
Total- 965

What is the source for that list? If a reliable source can be found, I'll put it on Wikipedia...

[Derek Ortt]

probably best not to put it on Wiki just yet. There is still major confusion regarding the total. However, I sincerely hope this is accurate as it is less than the previously reported 1,100.

I am probably not going to update the PNJ blog again tonight since it is very hard (i.e. impossible) to sort through everything

If those numbers are the final numbers, congrats to the Bengali government for saving tens of thousands of lives! Also, we could apply some of the lessons from that cyclone here (directed toward certain leaders here who did not perform as well as the Bengalis during Katrina)

[kd_black]

Number of People Died in Different Areas of Bangladesh:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Borguna- 165
3.Borishal- 83
4.Potuakhali- 195
5.madanipur- 34
6.Gopalgonj- 25
7.Jhalokathi- 27
8.Bhola- 26
9.Shoriatpur- 20
10.Khulna- 12
11.Foridpur- 6
12.Dhaka- 7
13.Chandpur- 4
14.Narayengonj- 4
15.Shatkhira- 3
16.Munshigonj- 3
17.Joshor- 4
----------------------------
Total- 860

Number of Fishermen Missing:

1.Bagerhaat- 200
2.Chandpur- 3
3.Coxs-bazar- 185
4.Pirozpu- 13
5.Bhola- 150
---------------------------
Total- 965

What is the source for that list? If a reliable source can be found, I'll put it on Wikipedia...

i FOUNF IT IN THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE BUT iTS IN BANGLA LANGUAGE,

http://www.shamokal.com/details.php?nid=79936

[kd_black]

I think its better to wait for a while as it will take time to find out the actual number of people died as some of the areas are still cut off and a lot of Network towers are distroyed so communication is still impossible.

[Derek Ortt]

kd_black,

To maybe give you an idea as to how long it may take to truly know what happened, I will tell you what happened when Katrina struck here

The day that the cyclone hit, it seemed like New Orleans had dodged a bullet. Little word out of Mississippi except for a horrific interview where one victim was crying on air as he had just lost his wife (one of the saddest things I have heard and primarily due to that incident, I was drinking quite heavily for a while). we also knew that much of Mobile Alabama wa sunder water, but the city was largely evacuated

The next day, it was revealed that New Orleans was flooded nearly entirely and that the Mississippi Coast was obliterated. 24 hours later, the death toll was estimated at >10,000

This number dropped by a factor of 10 about 2 weeks later after a preliminary search

As the detailed search began, it was found that between 1500-2000 people died.

This process took more than 6 months

[Chacor]

It is highly irresponsible to compare Sidr to Katrina, in my opinion. Two totally different areas, storms, time of year, etc.

[Derek Ortt]

you missed the point, Chacor

I was giving him an idea as to how long it will take to get an accurate report on the extent of the impact

[kd_black]

I do understand Drek, But the difference is that in US they thought 10000 people might have died abut after 6 months it was more or less 1000, but here we are saying that 1100 have did so far and after a few days the number might grow to 10000 or more.
We face this kind of storm almost every year in smaller scale.

[kd_black]

[Ptarmigan]

kd_black,

To maybe give you an idea as to how long it may take to truly know what happened, I will tell you what happened when Katrina struck here

The day that the cyclone hit, it seemed like New Orleans had dodged a bullet. Little word out of Mississippi except for a horrific interview where one victim was crying on air as he had just lost his wife (one of the saddest things I have heard and primarily due to that incident, I was drinking quite heavily for a while). we also knew that much of Mobile Alabama wa sunder water, but the city was largely evacuated

The next day, it was revealed that New Orleans was flooded nearly entirely and that the Mississippi Coast was obliterated. 24 hours later, the death toll was estimated at >10,000

This number dropped by a factor of 10 about 2 weeks later after a preliminary search

As the detailed search began, it was found that between 1500-2000 people died.

This process took more than 6 months

I remember how New Orleans survived at first, but it got flooded out. I remember it with Hurricane Andrew. I remember the interview. It really was sad.