Cyclone Storm Sitrang Kills Over 20 People in Bangladesh

Posted: October 26, 2022 6:41 am

At least two dozen people are dead in Bangladesh after a potent tropical cyclone hit the country with destructive winds and heavy rainfall earlier in the week. Here is the latest on this devastating natural disaster.

Cyclonic Storm Sitrang Leaves 8 Million Residents in the Dark

Over a foot of rain fell across a large part of the country as Cyclonic Storm Sitrang unleashed on Bangladesh. The feature formed and strengthened quickly, developing in the central Bay of Bengal on Sunday afternoon.

While the cyclone formation caught many people in the region off guard, tropical weather experts had been monitoring this portion of the bay since the middle of October as it began to show signs of favorable conditions for cyclone development. The storm picked up steam in the overnight hours of Sunday into Monday, making its way to the north toward Bangladesh.

In addition to the flooding rainfall, officials say there are about 8 million people without power due to the strong winds. A lack of power is a significant hardship for developing nations such as Bangladesh.

Eight of the fatalities are being blamed on a barge that capsized in the Bay of Bengal due to the rough seas on Monday night. The remaining causes of death were attributed to falling trees, drowning events, and collapsing buildings.

The worst of the flooding was reported in the district of Bhola, located along the coast. According to the Associated Press, almost 20,000 people were stranded in this district due to the rising waters and the ocean surge.

Residents Forced to Evacuate Quickly

Officials hurriedly worked to warn residents of the rapidly approaching storm on Monday. The storm slammed into the coast of Bangladesh in an area south of Barisal a few hours prior to midnight as a cyclonic storm. This designation is equivalent to what Americans would call a tropical storm.

While the storm did not make landfall until late in the evening Monday, its heavy rains began impacting the area hours before this time. The rain continued to fall in droves on Tuesday. Rainfall amounts over a 48-hour period measured between 8 and 16 inches.

The capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, recorded 17 inches of rain over the last two days. The city typically sees about 3.5 inches of rain for the entire month of October.

What is Next for Sitrang?

Sitrang had devolved into a mere area of low pressure by mid-day Tuesday as it churned over the northeastern corner of Bangladesh. The feature lost its intensity almost as quickly as it found it as it moved over the rough terrain of the Himalayan foothills.

The good news is that dry and peaceful conditions are in the forecast as Sitrang departs the region. This will undoubtedly be a relief for residents working hard to clean up the mess left behind by the storm.

It has been over five years since a named cyclone hit Bangladesh. Severe Cyclonic Storm Mora wreaked havoc over the nation in May of 2017. However, it is not unusual for this part of the Indian Ocean to see tropical features at the tail end of the typical monsoon season.

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