On Monday, approximately 1,000 individuals who were stranded by 3.6 meters (12 feet) deep seawater along the coast of western Myanmar were successfully evacuated by rescue teams. This operation took place after a strong cyclone caused injuries to hundreds of people and disrupted communication channels. While six deaths were reported, the full extent of the cyclone’s impact on one of the least developed countries in Asia remained uncertain.
According to an anonymous leader from the Rakhine Youths Philanthropic Association in Sittwe, strong winds caused injuries to over 700 individuals out of approximately 20,000 people seeking refuge in stronger structures such as monasteries, pagodas, and schools located in the highlands of Sittwe township. The source requested anonymity due to concerns about potential repercussions from the authorities in the military-led nation.
As Cyclone Mocha struck Rakhine state on Sunday afternoon, seawater swiftly inundated more than 10 low-lying areas near the shoreline. The intensity of the storm made it impossible for immediate rescue operations, forcing residents to seek safety on rooftops and upper floors.
The leader of the rescue group stated that after 4 p.m. the following day, the storm’s strength began to diminish slightly, but the water levels did not recede. Throughout the entire night, most individuals remained on the roofs or in elevated areas of their homes. The wind continued to blow relentlessly.
As of Monday, the flooded areas still had water levels of approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet), but with the calming of the wind and the rising of the sun, rescues were underway. In light of this, the anonymous leader appealed to civil society organizations and authorities to provide aid and assistance in evacuating the affected residents.
Myanmar media and rescue groups reported six deaths as a result of the cyclone. In neighboring Bangladesh, which had initially been predicted to be directly hit by the cyclone, several injuries were reported, although the country was ultimately spared from the worst impact.
Cyclone Mocha made landfall near Sittwe township, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour, according to Myanmar’s Meteorological Department. By midday on Monday, it had weakened to a tropical depression, as stated by the India Meteorological Department.
The State Administration Council declared a state of disaster for 17 townships in Rakhine state.
Despite the collapse of cellphone towers due to high winds, videos captured by local media before communication was lost depicted streets filled with rushing water and roofs being blown off by the powerful winds.
According to Myanmar’s military information office, the storm caused damage to houses and electrical transformers in Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, and Gwa townships. Additionally, roofs were torn off buildings on the Coco Islands, located approximately 425 kilometers (264 miles) southwest of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.
Volunteers had previously reported insufficient food supplies in shelters in Sittwe due to an increase in the number of people seeking assistance.
Fortunately, Cyclone Mocha largely spared Cox’s Bazar, a city in Bangladesh that was initially predicted to be directly affected by the storm. Authorities had successfully evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents before the cyclone changed its path to the east.
Enamur Rahman, a government official in Bangladesh, stated that the extent of the damage was still being evaluated. However, he mentioned that approximately 2,000 homes had been destroyed, and 10,000 others were damaged on Saint Martin’s Island and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district.
According to the report, no deaths were reported in relation to Cyclone Mocha.
However, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported that around a dozen individuals were injured on Saint Martin’s Island.
Ahead of the cyclone, United Nations agencies and aid workers in Bangladesh had strategically positioned significant quantities of dry food and dozens of ambulances in the refugee camps where over 1 million Rohingya Muslims reside, having fled persecution in Myanmar.
It is worth noting that in May 2008, Myanmar experienced Cyclone Nargis, which resulted in a devastating storm surge that caused significant damage in populated areas surrounding the Irrawaddy River delta. The cyclone claimed the lives of at least 138,000 individuals and led to the destruction of tens of thousands of homes and other structures.
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune city, highlighted that cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are intensifying at a faster rate, partially attributed to climate change.
Climate scientists have observed that cyclones now have the ability to maintain their energy for extended periods. An example of this phenomenon is Cyclone Amphan, which struck eastern India in 2020. Despite making landfall, the cyclone retained its strength and continued to cause widespread destruction as it traversed over land. The prolonged duration of powerful cyclones like Amphan has led to more extensive devastation in affected areas.
According to Koll, the climate scientist, cyclones will retain their intensity for longer durations as long as the oceans remain warm and the wind conditions are favorable. This means that the destructive potential of tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in different regions, is heightened when they make landfall in densely populated coastal areas. These storms have a reputation for being among the most devastating natural disasters globally due to their impact on heavily inhabited coastal regions.
