1991 Bangladesh cyclone
On 29 April, 1991 an unnamed cyclone struck the Chittagong region of Bangladesh. It had winds around 160 mph, pressure measured at 898 millibars, and a 20 foot storm surge. It made landfall in the district of Chittagong in southeastern Bangladesh.
Fatalities
At least 138,000 people were killed by the storm, with the majority of deaths in the Chittagong area. Most deaths were from drowning, with the highest mortality among children and the elderly. Although cyclone shelters had been built after the
1970 Bhola cyclone, with just a few hours of warning few people knew where to go for shelter.
Property damage
The storm caused an estimated 1.5 billion dollars in damage. The high velocity wind and the
storm surge devastated the coastline. Although a concrete levee was in place near the mouth of the
Karnaphuli River in Patenga, it was washed away by the storm surge. The cyclone uprooted a 100-ton crane and smashed it on the Karnaphuli River Bridge, effectively breaking it into two sections. A large number of boats and smaller ships ran aground.
Bangladesh Navy and
Bangladesh Air Force, both of which had bases in
Chittagong, were also heavily hit. Most of the fighter planes belonging to the air force were damaged.
*
1970 Bhola cyclone*
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake*
List of notable tropical cyclones*
NOAA's Top Global Events of the 20th Century*
Data on Bangladesh disasters from
NIRAPAD disaster response organisation.
*
Indian Cyclone Fact Sheet*
Risk factors for mortality in the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991
