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Worst in 20 years

By Mostafa Kamal Majumder
The severe cyclonic storm packing hurricane-force winds which crossed the coast west of Chittagong at midnight last night was the worst ever tn the history of Bangladesh experts
The maximum windspeed of the cyclone was over 148 miles per hour 235 (kilometres) compared to the maximum windspeed of 138 miles per hour recorded during the November 12. 1970 cyclone which claimed half a million human lives.
Monday's cyclone, like the one In 1970 hit in the period of a full moon high tide causing the surges whipped up by it to be at their highest.
Cyclones formed in the Bay of Bengal are essentially identical to the Pacific typhoons and the Atlantic hurricanes. But cyclones are more destructive than hurricanes, although hurricanes have higher wlnd-speeds
According to experts several factors are responsible for this. The landmass here is widely alluvial and low lying
Incoming storm-induced waves are pressed into the funnel-shaped Bay of Bengal
The large expanse of shal low water overlying the continental shelf and the 10-tol8 foot hth astronomical tidal range from the east to the west coastline add to raise the storm induced sea level.
This cyclone was more worse than the cyclone of Nov 28. 1988 that hit the Khulna region. About 4,000 people were counted killed and 6000 were listed missing Damage to crops and houses was colossal.
Another major cyclone hit Bangladesh on May 25. 1986
Thousands of Inhabitants of Urtrchar were washed away by the storm surge of that cyclone. The death toll was 10.000.
Records show that November 12. 1970 cyclone had caused storm surges between 10 to 33 feet
There were two severe cy clones in the year 1965 A total of 19.270 people including 14.193 were killed in Barisal alone tn a cyclone that hit on the night of May 11.
Another cyclone hit the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf coasts killing about 1000 people on December 14 the same year.
A total of 11.520 people were killed in a cyclone that crossed the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar coasts on May 28. 1963.
The maximum wind speed was 125 miles per hour in Chittagong and 102 miles per hour in Cox's Bazar during that cyclone.
On May 9, 1961 a cyclone hit the Meghna estuary killing 11.468 people. The maximum windspeed was 90 to 92 miles per hour.
In 1960 another cyclone hit Chittagong with a maximum windspeed of 125 miles per hour. A total of 8.149 people
were kilted in that cyclone on October 30
Over 3000 people were killed In yet another cyclone in the Meghna estuary on October 9 1960
A cyclone hit Chittagong in October 1897 sweeping away 14.000 people. Another 18.000 people died tn a subsequent epidemic.
Another cyclone that hit the Meghna estuary tn October 1876 caused enormous loss In life and property. The storm surge was as high as 45 feet. The number of deaths was. however, not recorded.
In 1822. 40.000 people were killed and one lakh heads of cattle lost in a severe cyclone that hit Barisal in May