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I. ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD IMPACTS
[ I-A | I-B | I-C
| I-D | I-E ]
E. Effects of floods on social and economic conditions
[ E-1 | E-2 | E-3
| E-4 | E-5 ]
5. Loss of lives due to cyclonic floods
The people living along the coastal and off-shore islands of Bangladesh are occasionally affected by tropical cyclonic storms and accompanying surges. The estimated population living in cyclone and surge prone Risk Zones and High Risk Zones in 1992 was 7.04 million and 5.25 million respectively, spread over respective areas of 12,000 and 9,000 km2. Some major tropical cyclones that have affected Bangladesh since 1969 have been presented in Table 5 with official casualty figures, storm surge heights and wind speeds. Details of damage caused by the cyclonic floods in 1970 and 1991 are given in Table 6.
Table 5. Major cyclones affecting Bangladesh since 1969
|
Year |
Casualties |
Maximum Wind Speed
(km/hour) |
Storm Surge Height
(meter) |
|
1969 |
922 |
|
|
|
1970 |
300,000 |
222 |
3.0-10.0 |
|
1973 |
- |
122 |
1.5-7.8 |
|
1974 |
20 |
161 |
2.7-5.2 |
|
1975 |
5 |
112 |
- |
|
1983 |
343 |
136 |
1.5 |
|
1985 |
11,069 |
154 |
4.3 |
|
1986 |
14 |
110 |
- |
|
1988 |
5,708 |
160 |
4.4 |
|
1991 |
138,000 |
225 |
7.0 |
|
Total |
468,081 |
- |
- |
Table 6. A comparison of losses due to 1970 and 1991 cyclones that hit Bangladesh
|
Items |
1970 |
1991 |
|
Population affected |
4.7m |
10.8 m |
|
Lives lost |
300,000 |
138,000 |
|
Loss of cattle & poultry |
780,000 |
1,061,029 |
|
Educational institutes damaged |
3,500 |
9,666 |
|
Houses damaged |
400,000 |
1,702,358 |
|
Districts affected |
- |
19 |
|
Thanas affected |
- |
102 |
|
Roads (earthen) destroyed (km) |
- |
1,230 |
|
Bridges and culverts destroyed |
- |
496 |
|
Embankments destroyed (km) |
- |
1,130 |
|
Fishing boats destroyed (marine & inland) |
- |
- |
Sources: Frank and Husain, 1971, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 1991
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