Cyclone Mora

Severe Cyclonic Storm Mora

Severe cyclonic storm (IMD scale)
Category 1 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Mora at peak strength and near landfall in Bangladesh on May 30
Formed	May 28, 2017
Dissipated	May 31, 2017
Highest winds	3-minute sustained: 110 km/h (70 mph) 1-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph)
Lowest pressure	978 hPa (mbar); 28.88 inHg
Fatalities	31 total
Damage	$100.8 million (2017 USD)
Areas affected	Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, East India, Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tibet
Part of the 2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

Severe Cyclonic Storm Mora (Thai, meaning "agate"^[1]) was a tropical cyclone that caused widespread impacts and severe flooding across Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Northeast India in May 2017. The second named storm of the annual cyclone season, Mora developed from an area of low pressure over the southeastern Bay of Bengal on May 28. It quickly strengthened and was named Mora early the next day. Heading north-northeastwards towards Bangladesh, Mora continued to intensify and was upgraded to a severe cyclonic storm before May 31. Soon after, Mora reached peak strength with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph). Maintaining its intensity, the cyclone made landfall near Chittagong on the morning of May 30 and steadily weakened over land, dissipating early on the next day.

Across its path, Mora dropped torrential rainfall, primarily in northwestern Myanmar and coastal Bangladesh and northeast India. Damage throughout Bangladesh reached 44 to 45 crore in taka (USD $5 million) and in Myanmar it reached to Kyat 2.3 billion (USD $1.5 million). In India it reached to 131 crore (USD $20.3 million).^[2][3][4][5]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

In late May 2017, an area of convection began to organize in the Bay of Bengal under favorable conditions characterized by low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures.^[6] The conducive environment allowed for the development of rainbands and the beginnings of a circulation on May 27.^[7][8] That same day, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) noted the high likelihood of the low pressure area organizing into a tropical depression.^[9] Similarly, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on the disturbance at 14:30 UTC May 27, citing the persistent thunderstorm activity and consolidating center of circulation;^[10] the JTWC classified the disturbance as a tropical cyclone roughly six hours later as it continued to intensify. At the time, the storm's motion was influenced primarily by a nearby subtropical ridge, forcing the system to take a north-northeasterly track.^[11]

It rapidly strengthened on 28 May with the IMD classifying it as a Depression and subsequently as a Deep Depression on the same day, designating it BOB 02. In the early hours of 29 May, the IMD reported the storm to have reached Cyclonic storm intensity, naming it Mora. The storm followed a north-northeasterly track parallel to Myanmar coast. Shortly before landfall, the storm reached its peak intensity as a severe cyclonic storm with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 978 hpa(mbar).The JTWC analysed it having reached category 1 hurricane strength with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) on the same day. The storm made landfall at peak intensity on the southern coast of Bangladesh near Chittagong at 11:30 UTC (IST 6:00 am). After landfall the storm steadily weakened due to land interaction and dissipated into a well marked low pressure area over Meghalaya on 31 May.

Preparations

Bangladesh

With Mora's relatively rapid intensification, Bangladeshi authorities were hard pressed to carry out evacuations and prepare for the storm. Maritime weather alerts were issued for the Bangladeshi ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra, under the anticipation of a 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft) storm surge.^[12] All flights out of the Shah Amanat International Airport of Chittagong were suspended.^[13] Citywide, 500 shelters were opened. Authorities attempted to evacuate 1 million people prior to landfall,^[14] though as of May 29, only 300,000 had done so.^[15]Red Crescent volunteers and medical units were on the alert while most government offices in coastal zones had been cancelled. Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Ali Hossain held a meeting with the local disaster management committee asking educational institutions to shut temporarily. Some 538 shelters were made ready to accommodate more than 500,000 people and provide dry food. A total of 88 medical units, 6,010 volunteers and 15,000 volunteers of the Red Crescent were on the alert. There were 351 cyclone shelters with storage of dry food and medicines. People in the offshore islands and lowlands had been asked to move to cyclone shelters. Lakshmipur DC Homayra Begum issued an order to shift people to shelters, store food for consumption during and after disaster, and form a medical team and six control rooms. Similar arrangements were in place in Chandpur for char dwellers. ^[16]

East and Northeast India

Tropical cyclone warnings and watches were issued for the Indian states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, West Bengal and Tripura.The Mizoram government issued a warning and advised people to take precautions and preventive measures as it was expected that the cyclone could cause landslides and floods. The Indian Navy's Eastern fleet ships had been put on the highest state of readiness to extend help to cyclone-hit parts of Bangladesh as well.^[17] Fishermen were asked not to venture into the sea in Odisha when severe cyclonic storm 'Mora' crossed the Bangladesh coast raising the possibility of rains at many places in the state.Advice for hoisting Distant Warning Signal Number Two (DW-II) at Paradip and Gopalpur ports had been issued, the MeT office advised the Fishermen not to venture into sea.State's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty had held a meeting with senior officials to review preparedness to meet the situation. ^[18]

Impact

Mora over Bangladesh after landfall on 30th May

Bangladesh

A total of 500,000 people managed to move out of coastal areas before the storm made landfall on May 31. Strong winds and storm surge battered buildings and destroyed farmlands across Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, and Rangamati, with at least 20,000 houses damaged in refugee camps for Rohingya Muslims displaced by conflict in neighbouring Myanmar. As of May 31, nine people were reported to be killed across Bangladesh, mostly due to falling trees. For two days, Mora dropped very heavy rainfall in Bangladesh. On 30th May, rainfall of 177 mm was observed in Chittagong, 173 mm over Sandwip, 138 mm over Sitakunda, 87 mm over Rangamati, 83 mm over Hatiya and 115 mm over Kutubdia was reported. On 31st May, rainfall of 96 mm over Netrokona and 139 mm over Hatiya was reported.^[19] 136 people were injured, according to the National Health Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Government sources have estimated that approximately 52,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, leaving 260,000 people in possible need of shelter. In particular, Cox’s Bazaar district was heavily hit, with approximately 17,000 residences damaged. ^[20] An estimated 3.3 million people had been affected by Tropical Cyclone MORA, which made landfall in Chittagong Division on 30 May.The most severely affected area has been Cox’s Bazar, where more than 300,000 Rohingya refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals are residing. Six Rohingya settlements in the area have reportedly been severely affected, with up to 70 per cent of shelters as well as latrines, clinics and other infrastructure damaged. The storm damaged all UNICEF-supported Child Friendly Spaces in Cox's Bazar. ^[21] According to data made available by the Government of Bangladesh, some 52,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed, leaving more than 200,000 people displaced. The worst-hit area is Cox’s Bazar district. ^[22]

Sri Lanka

Also, despite not being directly related, the precursor disturbance to Mora worsened ongoing floods in Sri Lanka by further strengthening the southwest monsoon. This contributed to sustained heavy rains over the country, with the resultant floods and landslides killing more than 200 and displacing at least 630,000. Mora caused flooding and landslides throughout Sri Lanka in the final week of May 2017. 15 districts had been affected, killing 203 people and leaving 96 people missing. Damage reached USD $197 million^[5]

Northeast India

Cyclone Mora affected the states of Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram in Northeast India by causing severe flooding. In Mizoram, strong winds and heavy showers came on Tuesday, damaging at least 80 buildings, including the district hospital in Siaha, the headquarters of the southernmost Saiha district, and 10 houses including a church in the Serchhip district.Around 124 houses in several places including 60 pucca houses in Champhai district and 33 kutcha houses in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district were partially damaged by a gusty wind caused by cyclone Mora.Three school buildings in Lunglei district were also severely damaged. Cyclone Mora accompanied by heavy rains and gusty winds also disrupted power and communication network and uprooted many trees and electric poles at several places in the state. In Siaha, the southernmost tip of Mizoram, the roof of the district hospital was blown away by a violent wind forcing the hospital authority to shift patients to the hospital’s corridor. Some parts of BCM bungalow at Serkawn in Lunglei were damaged when hit by tree uprooted by strong wind. Nineteen people were killed in Manipur.^[23] lives in Manipur. Damage reached to Rs.131 crore (USD $20 million) in northeastern states.^[3][24]

Myanmar

One person was killed in Myanmar.^[25]Worst hit was western Myanmar’s Rakhine state where the cyclone destroyed houses, religious buildings, government offices, schools, and reservoirs in the state capital Sittwe.According to Myanmar Red Cross Society rapid assessments, the storm impacted 12 of 17 townships in Rakhine State. The initial figures showed that 3,517 houses were partially damaged while 967 houses were completely damaged in Maungdaw township. 823 houses were damaged in Sittwe, Minbya and Rathedaung townships. As of 2 June, the Government reported that over 4,600 houses were destroyed and 11,700 houses damaged. The most severely affected areas are in the northern part of Rakhine State. In the IDP camps in central Rakhine State, hundreds of shelters, temporary learning spaces and latrines also suffered damage or collapsed due to the strong winds recorded at 25 miles per hour, while 3.7 inches of rain fell.According to assessments, the cyclone damaged close to 50,000 structures in the northern part of Rakhine State, including more than 21,000 houses and shelters for internally displaced people and more than 26,000 sanitation facilities. ^[26]

Bhutan

On 31 May at around 5am the remnants of Cyclone Mora bought rainfall to 18 meteorological stations across Bhutan for 1 to 2 hours, the highest rainfall of 28.6mm was recorded in Dagana, no damage or deaths were reported.^[27]

Aftermath

Bangladesh

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees provided emergency hospital tents to the affected camps, and aimed to provide waterproof plastic sheeting to affected families from Mora.The International Organisation for Migration provided shelter and emergency healthcare, and supervised repairs to damaged health facilities and sanitation services.The World Food Programme provided emergency food rations and large quantities of dry biscuits until regular food supply resumes, while the United Nations Children’s Fund supplyed hygiene kits, water purification tablets, and recreation kits for affected refugee and migrant children.The United Nations Population Fund provided high-quality medical care to pregnant women, new mothers and their newborn children in the camps.^[28] Total losses reached USD $5 million.^[4] The Danish government gave Tk 3.6 million to the International Organisation for Migration as disaster relief to Rohingya refugees near Cox’s Bazar in the wake of the cyclone.The Danish Embassy said three makeshift settlements housing undocumented Rohingya refugees have been severely damaged by the cyclone.The Danish contribution would be the first and foremost to be used for building new shelters in the settlements of Kutupalong, Balukhali, Leda and Shamlapur in Cox’s Bazar district.The contribution will also provide other necessary households items that have been destroyed in the storm.^[29] The Canadian High Commission provided CAD20,000 or Tk 1.2 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as an immediate response to the victims. The fund will be used to provide immediate assistance to the victims for two months. The operation would focus on emergency food, shelter toolkits, safe drinking water and water storage items, basic non-food items, sanitation and hygiene assistance.^[30] The government and the UN agencies provided humanitarian assistance. India also provided relief materials.India had supplied relief material, including medicines, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, tents and portable water purifiers worth about Rs6 crore since the cyclone ‘Sidr´ struck Bangladesh on 15 November, killing around 3,500 people besides causing widespread devastation.^[31]

India hands over relief materials to Bangladesh

Some 80,000 undocumented Rohingya refugees are fully or partially without shelter as a result of the cyclone, according to IOM Bangladesh. The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has contributed US$100,000 (S$138,407) for those affected by Cyclone Mora in Bangladesh. The humanitarian organisation said it has contributed US$50,000 to the Bangladesh Red Cross to provide aid such as food, shelter, water and sanitation for 50,000 victims of the cyclones. ^[32]

Myanmar

The European Commission provided € 1.5 million in humanitarian aid funding for emergency relief assistance to populations in Myanmar affected by tropical Cyclone Mora.^[33] Singapore Red Cross provided US$50,000 to Myanmar Red Cross for the purchase of tarpaulins, CGI sheets, student and teacher kits for those affected in Myanmar.^[34]

International Response

The severe storm that devastated Bangladesh received wide attention from other countries. Below is a list of contributions.

See also

• Cyclone Akash- a tropical cyclone that affected Bangladesh in 2009 and caused widespread impacts.
• Cyclone Sidr- a strong tropical cyclone that devastated the Ganga delta.
• Cyclone Roanu-a weak tropical cyclone that caused widespread impacts and severe flooding.
• Cyclone Komen- an unusual tropical cyclone that originated in the Ganga delta and later struck the same region causing massive flooding.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyclone Mora.

• 02B.MORA from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Tropical cyclones of the 2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
	CS Maarutha SCS Mora DD BOB 03 D BOB 04 D LAND 01
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