Hazards, Disasters And Your Community - United Nations ...

Apr 25-30, 1991 235 Kmph Bangladesh 1,38,882 people died. 1,39,054 people injured
Apr24-May2, 1994 215 Kmph Bangladesh 184 people killed
May 15-19, 1997 230 Kmph Teknaf Bangladesh, 155 people died. 9663 people injured
June 5 - 9, 1998 167 Kmph Kandla Cyclone. 1680 people died
May 16-22, 1999 195 Kmph Arabian Sea (crossed Sind coast of Pakistan). 454 people died and 5104 cattle heads
perished in India.
Oct 15-19, 1999 170 Kmph Gopalpur Cyclone – Orissa 198 people died, 402 persons injured.
Oct 25-29, 1999 260 Kmph The Orissa SuperCyclone causec heavy destruction to coastal districts of Orissa. 9887
people died. 129.22 lakh people affected.
Nov 26-30 , 2000 189 kmph Two states viz., Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry were mainly affected by this storm.The loss is
mainly due to crop damage. Uprooting of big trees and partial damages to more than one
thousand kuchha houses. 30,000, Plantain trees and 50,000 Plantain saplings got destroyed
and 30,000 trees were Uprooted in Tamil Nadu state. In Pondicherry two persons lost their
lives Damage to paddy Crops plantains, Coconut Plantation were the major loss in
Pondicherry.
Dec 23-28, 2000 167 Kmph Three districts of Tamil Nadu state were affected by this storm in the Ramnathanpuram
district, 350 houses were damaged in thirunelveli. Houses damaged - 318. In Tutocorin
houses damaged-318, Fishing boats, lost - 95, loss to crops - 281 hectares paddy crops
destroyed, plaintain- 650 hectares and betal 80 hectares .
POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING HAZARD
Coastal belt plantation (green belt plantation along the coastal line in a scientific interweaving pattern)
can reduce the effect of the hazard. Providing a cover through green belt sustains less damage. Forests
act as a wide buffer zone against strong winds and flash floods. Without the forest the cyclone travel
freely inland. The lack of protective forest cover allows water to inundate large areas and cause
destruction. With the loss of the forest cover each consecutive cyclone can penetrate further inland.
Flood protection measures can be taken to reduce the impact of flood hazards.
MAIN MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Hazard mapping – Meteorological records of the wind
speed and the directions give the probability of the
winds in the region. Cyclones can be predicted several
days in advance. The onset is extensive and often very
destructive. Past records and paths can give the
pattern of occurrence for particular wind speeds. A
hazard map will illustrate the areas vulnerable to the
cyclone in any given year. It will be useful to estimate
the severity of the cyclone and various damage
intensities in the region. The map is prepared with data
inputs of past climatological records, history of wind
speed, frequency of flooding etc.
Land use control designed so that least critical
activities are placed in vulnerable areas. Location of
settlements in the flood plains is at utmost risk. Siting of
key facilities must be marked in the land use. Policies
should be in place to regulate land use and
enforcement of building codes. Vulnerable areas
should be kept for parks, grazing or play grounds.
Engineered structures – structures need to be built to
withstand wind forces. Good site selection is also
important. Majority of the buildings in coastal areas are
built with locally available materials and have no
engineering inputs. Good construction practice should
be adopted such as:
- Cyclonic wind storms inundate the coastal areas. It is
advised to construct on stilts or on earth mound.
- Houses can be strengthened to resist wind and flood
damage. All elements holding the structures need to be
Andhra Pradesh state wind and cyclone zone
A shelter with special feature to withstand cyclones
and floods. Traditional homes can be improved by
building in disaster resistant features. Such homes
could withstand cyclones with moderate speeds.
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