Cyclone
Cyclone Mocha completes landfall, ports now advised to raise signal No. 3
The very severe cyclonic storm Mocha moved North-Northeastwards and crossed fully over the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast at 6pm on Sunday, weakening into a deep land depression near Sittwe in the neighbouring country.
It is likely to move further inland and weaken gradually by precipitation (rainfall), said a Met Office bulletin.
Maritime port of Cox’s Bazar has been advised to lower great danger signal No 10, and hoist local cautionary signal no 3.
Also Read: Power, gas supply situation to improve in 2 days: Nasrul
Maritime ports of Chattogram and Payra have been advised to lower great danger signal no. 8 and hoist local cautionary signal no. 3.
Maritime port of Mongla has been similarly advised to lower local warning signal no. 4 and hoist local cautionary signal no. 3.
Also Read: Cyclone Mocha weakens slightly, lies over Maynmar land: BMD
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.
Cyclone Preparedness: Safety measures to follow before, during and after disaster
Cyclones are powerful and destructive natural phenomena that can significantly damage life, property, and infrastructure. Being adequately prepared and staying aware of the necessary precautions can greatly minimize the destructive impacts of cyclones on lives and properties.
Unfortunately, unpreparedness and ignorance often exacerbate the effects of these disasters, leading to greater devastation. This article will explore essential cautionary measures before, during, and after a cyclone to save human lives, livestock, and properties.
Precautions before Cyclone
Remember, each cyclone is unique, and the level of preparedness required may vary. Stay vigilant, follow the advice of local authorities, and prioritize safety.
Read More: Mocha shows no sign of weakening; 190-210 kph winds near centre in BMD's midnight update
Taking proactive measures before a cyclone can significantly reduce its impact and protect lives and property.
Stay informed: Regularly monitor weather forecasts and warnings from reliable sources to stay updated about the cyclone's progress and potential impact on your area.
Develop an emergency plan: Prepare an emergency kit with necessary supplies such as food, water, medication, flashlights, batteries, and a first aid kit. Discuss and practice evacuation routes and procedures with your family.
Secure your property: Trim tree branches, secure loose objects, reinforce doors and windows, and inspect the roof for potential vulnerabilities. In addition, consider installing storm shutters or protective coverings.
Read More: This is how Cyclone Mocha was named, plus all you need to know.
Prepare communication channels: Keep mobile phones charged, have a battery-operated radio, and store important documents in waterproof bags. Share contact information with family and friends and establish a communication plan in case of separation.
Evacuation readiness: Familiarize yourself with local evacuation routes and shelters. Plan for the needs of elderly or disabled family members and pets. Follow evacuation orders issued by local authorities promptly.
Safety drills: Conduct regular safety drills with your family members to ensure everyone knows what to do during a cyclone. Practice tasks such as shutting off utilities, assembling the emergency kit, and swiftly reaching the designated safe area.
Secure important documents: Make digital copies of important documents such as identification cards, passports, insurance policies, and property deeds. Store them securely in the cloud or portable device to facilitate easy access and recovery.
Read More: All preparations taken to face cyclone Mocha: PM Hasina.
Stock up on supplies: Maintain a sufficient supply of non-perishable food items, dry food, bottled water, and necessary medications for several days. In addition, consider the needs of infants, elderly family members, and individuals with special dietary requirements.
Stay hydrated and have snacks: Keep an ample supply of drinking water and non-perishable snacks to sustain you during the cyclone and its aftermath.
Cyclone Mocha may cross Cox’s Bazar between 9am and 3pm today, no possibility of turning into super cyclonic storm: BMD
The cyclonic storm Mocha is likely to cross Cox’s Bazar and North Myanmar between 9am and 3pm today (May 14, 2023), according to the latest bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Mocha, located over east central Bay and adjoining areas, kept moving north-northeastwards and kept intensifying, it reads.
The cyclonic storm was located at 490 km south-southwest of Chattogram port, 410 km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 530 km south of Mongla port and 460 km south of Payra port, said the BMD bulletin.
Read More: Heavy rains may trigger landslides in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, 3 hill districts
The coastal districts under Chattogram and Barishal divisions have already started experiencing the peripheral effects of the very severe cyclonic storm in the form of rain, it reads.
BMD said the maximum sustained wind speed near the storm's centre was about 190 kph, rising to 210 kph, in gusts or squalls. This was up from 180-200 kph in the evening, meaning the storm was still gathering strength.
Afroza Sultana, an assistant meteorologist of the BMD, told UNB this morning that there is no possibility yet that Cyclone Mocha will turn into a super cyclonic storm.
Read More: All preparations taken to face cyclone Mocha: PM Hasina
“We can predict that there is no possibility of Mocha turning into a super cyclone after observing its characteristics so far,” she said.
There were some rumours that the cyclone had already turned into a “super cyclone”, but an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) update pointed out that it is called a super cyclone when the maximum sustained speed crosses 221 km per hour, which is not yet the case.
BMD in its update said the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram and the nearby islands and low-lying char areas may face tidal surges 8 to 12 feet above the normal tide.
Read More: This is how Cyclone Mocha was named, plus all you need to know
Maritime port of Cox's Bazar has been advised to keep hoisted great danger signal 10. Maritime ports of Chattogram and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted great danger signal 8, said the report.
On the other hand, the maritime port of Mongla has been advised to keep hoisted local warning signal 4.
The coastal districts of Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Barguna and their offshore islands and chars will also come under great danger signal 8, the report said.
Read More: Mocha shows no sign of weakening; 190-210 kph winds near centre in BMD's midnight update
The low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Bhola and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind driven surge, at 5-7 feet above normal tide.
Under the effects of Cyclone Mocha, Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions are likely to experience heavy (44-88mm) to very heavy rainfall. Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places in the hilly regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Chattogram.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice, the bulletin also said.
Read More: Cyclone Preparedness: Safety measures to follow before, during and after disaster
This is how Cyclone Mocha was named, plus all you need to know
On 8th May 2023, the Indian Meteorological Department first noted a low-pressure area in the greater north Indian Ocean. The low-pressure area then gradually turned into a depression to be the first severe cyclonic storm of 2023 in the region. The depression gradually elevated to severe and then extremely severe cyclonic storm Mocha. So why is it called “Mocha”, and what is the procedure for naming storms? And more importantly, what will be the impact of the storm? Here’s what we know.
Why and how are cyclones named?
Cyclones are named for the sole purpose of making them easily identifiable to people. In the case of severe cyclonic storms, there is an immediate need for information decimated across different mediums. Additionally, there can be more than one active cyclone in a region. So for easy distinction and correct information availability, the regional meteorological organizations follow a certain naming process for all tropical cyclones.
The World Meteorological Organization or WMO has a set of rules for naming tropical cyclones. This naming follows regional nomenclature that has been already predetermined and sanctioned by the regional countries.
Read more: All preparations taken to face cyclone Mocha: PM Hasina
The Atlantic and Southern hemispheric regions use alphabetical naming order alternating between men's and women’s names. However, in 2000, the North Indian Oceanic regions proposed a new naming system that is alphabetically listed country-wise and is gender-neutral.
These names are used on a rotation basis. However, if the damage and casualties arising from a tropical cyclone become excessive, the regional meteorological organizations retire the names, and new names are added in their place.
In the case of North Indian oceanic regions, each name is retired after use, regardless of the damage or casualty.
Read More: Heavy rains may trigger landslides in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, 3 hill districts
How was Cyclone Mocha Named?
If it’s any wonder, then yes, Cyclone Mocha is indeed the same Mocha as the famous coffee variant. While it may seem like there is no distinct connection between the two, the sanctioned naming process made the first tropical cyclone in the region for the year to be named Mocha.
There are six regional specialized meteorological centers (RSMC) across the globe. The IMD based in Delhi is one of the six RSMCs. The RSMCs are primarily responsible for naming the cyclone in a designated manner.
The current alphabetical and gender-neutral naming process has been implemented since 2004. Initially, the RSMC took designated names from 8 countries and later 5 more countries joined the regional center. With 13 names from 13 countries, the RSMC has a list of 169 names which it uses in the countries’ alphabetical order.
Read more: Great danger signal No 10 issued for Cox’s Bazar maritime port as cyclone Mocha approaches
The name Mocha (pronounced as Mokha) was proposed by Yemen, after the famous port in the Red Sea known for its coffee production.
Current State of Cyclone Mocha
The cyclone is expected to reach around 190 to 210 kmph when it makes landfall by 14th May evening. The tidal surge caused by Mocha is expected to reach a maximum height of 3 meters while crossing over Cox’s Bazar and adjoining areas of Myanmar.
Thousands of people from the coastal areas including St Martin have already been evacuated. The local authority of St Martin declared all hotels, motels, and resorts as a temporary shelter area for those who still remain on the island. Bangladesh Meteorological Department has announced Great Danger Signal 10 as of 13th May on all the regional land and ports of the country.
Read More: Met office predicts rain or thundershowers in Dhaka, other divisions
All preparations taken to face cyclone Mocha: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (May 13, 2023) said that the government of Bangladesh has taken all necessary preparations to tackle cyclone Mocha.
“Cyclone Mocha is approaching . We’ve kept ready the cyclone centres and taken all types of preparation to tackle it,” she said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 60th convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) as the chief guest on IEB premises.
Hasina said that electricity and gas supply will be shut in the cyclone-hit areas to save lives.
Also Read: Heavy rains may trigger landslides in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, 3 hill districts
She said the move ( shutting gas and electricity supply) would cause temporary sufferings but it would save the lives of people. “We will take and are taking such measures,” she added.
Maritime port of Cox's Bazar has been advised to hoist danger signal No 10, as the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha - over east central Bay and adjoining area is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northwesterly direction.
Also Read: Great danger signal No 10 issued for Cox’s Bazar maritime port as cyclone Mocha approaches
The maritime ports Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist great danger signal number 8, and the maritime port of Mongla has been advised to keep hoisted local warning signal number 4.
The very severe cyclonic storm 'Mocha' is likely to cross Cox's Bazar-Myanmar's north coast by 6 pm on May 14 (Sunday), said a special bulletin of the Met Office.
Cox's Bazar and adjoining coastal areas will experience the peripheral effect of the very severe cyclonic storm by this evening.
Also Read: Don’t have capacity to evacuate 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar: State Minister.
409 shelters prepared in Khulna as depression intensifies into Cyclone Mocha
Local administration has kept 409 cyclone centres prepared for sheltering 2,73,850 people as a deep depression over the Bay turned into Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’and it is likely to cross Bangladesh on May 14.
Khandaker Yeasir Arefin, deputy commissioner of Khulna, said the government has opened 409 cyclone shelters in the district so that people can take shelter if needed.
He said a meeting of the disaster management committee will be held at 3:30 pm today (May 11, 2023).
Abdul Karim, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said the upazila level officials were asked to remain in their respective workplaces and take precautionary measures.
Read More: Cyclone Mocha: 446 cyclone shelters ready as panic grips Bagerhat’s coastal areas
They were also asked to take steps to inform people about the danger signal through loudspeakers.
Amirul Azad, in-charge of Khulna Weather Observatory Centre, said due to the impact of cyclone ‘Mocha’ heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind may lash the district on May 13.
However, unless the direction is changed, there is no possibility of the cyclone hitting the Khulna coast, he said.
Regarding cyclone preparations, state minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Wednesday said , "We are acting in accordance with the SOD (Standing Orders on Disasters). I have communicated with field personnel. The forecast indicates that Cox's Bazaar is the most vulnerable. Most at risk are the low-lying areas of St. Martin Island and Teknaf.”
Read More: Cyclone Mocha looms over Bay: DAE asks farmers to harvest paddy, other crops early
Enamur Rahman said the authorities will start moving people to cyclone shelters if the cyclone danger signal reaches 5, 6 or 7.
The state minister said the army, the navy and the coastguard are also ready.
"We hope to bring down the loss of life and property to zero (if it strikes)," he said.
Cyclone Mocha: 446 cyclone shelters ready as panic grips Bagerhat’s coastal areas
As the Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ is brewing over the Bay of Bengal, panic gripped the residents of coastal areas of Bagerhat district due to the vulnerable state of dyke at several points.
Residents of Sharankhola, Baleshwar, Pashur in Mongla and Panguchhi in Morelganj upazilas are passing sleepless nights, worrying over when and where the storm and high tide will hit.
According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Mocha is likely to make landfall on Cox’s Bazar coast by Sunday (May 14).
If the water rises 5 feet above normal, a number of villages will be flooded as 11km of embankment is at risk while around 25,000 shrimp enclosures may be washed away, said locals.
Read More: 409 shelters prepared in Khulna as depression intensifies into Cyclone Mocha
At least 446 cyclone shelters have been prepared in the district to accommodate people while 98% of boro paddy has been harvested in the district.
Around 11 km of embankment at different points is in vulnerable condition. Many villages in the district will be inundated if the tidal water rises.
Cyclone Mocha looms over Bay: DAE asks farmers to harvest paddy, other crops early
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Bangladesh has asked the farmers to harvest 80% ripe paddy, mango and other crops to avoid damages by potential cyclonic storm Mocha.
It also asked the officials concerned to take necessary steps for mass campaign so that farmers can take precautionary measures, said a press release of the DAE issued on Tuesday (May 09, 2023).
Also read: Depression over southeast Bay intensifies into deep depression
DAE also asked the agriculture officers to provide necessary advices to the farmers saying at their respective work place round the clock and follow the Bangladesh Agro-Metrological Information Service (BAMIS) portal to get any update about weather condition.
According to the latest Met office prediction, the depression over the Bay of Bengal may intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 12 or May 13 and in that case there is a possibility of huge damage of crops, it said.
Read More: Low pressure area intensifies into well-marked low over Bay: Met office.
Many embankments turn vulnerable in Khulna’s Koyra; Fear grips residents
Fear has gripped the residents in the coastal areas of Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira as most of the embankments have turned fragile over the years, thanks to the negligence of the authorities concerned.
Their worry grows when cyclone is developed over the Bay of Bengal or weather department predicts any cyclone or tidal surge in the coastal districts.
Recently the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning about the possible formation of a cyclonic storm called ‘Mocha’ in the southeast Bay of Bengal, which has sparked fear among them.
The cyclone is likely to make landfall on the eastern coast of India and possibly in parts of Bangladesh between 7-9 May, it said.
Most of the embankments in Koyra upazila of Khulna are very vulnerable, with some only having two to three feet wide earth embankments, said locals.
They said the risks are high as water may enter the localities due to collapse of dams in different parts of the area, putting the houses and lives of many at risk.
After Cyclones Amphan and Yash, broken dams were repaired at 21 places in Koya Upazila, and 20 kilometres of damaged embankments were repaired with soil and sandbags, according to local office of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
However, currently, renovation work in more than seven kilometres is underway, but 9 to 10 km embankment is still at risk.
Residents of different areas, including Koyra No. 6,Koyra Ring Dam No. 4, Ghatakhali, Harinkhola, Madinabad Launch Ghat area, Mathbaria, Koyra No. 2, Hogla, Gazipara, Golkhali, Haztkhali, Jorshing, and Maheshpur, are worried as 12 kilometre dam area is in a vulnerable condition, according to locals and WDB officials.
Read: Embankment goes into riverbed in Khulna
Furthermore, eight sluice gates for water supply in Kapotaksho and Shakbaria rivers are lying inoperative, and Nayani and Sutia Bazar-adjacent sluice gate of Shakbaria river are on the verge of collapse.
Locals blame the authorities' indifference in repairing the vulnerable dams and they have urged the officials concerned of the areas for a permanent solution.
Hemlata Mandal's house is situated beside the embankment of Shakbaria river.
" This dam collapsed twice before. Despite the construction of a larger dam later on, it collapsed a few days ago,” he said adding that the dam collapsed because it was built with sand.
Sardar Nurul Islam, chairman of Uttar Bedkashi Union Parishad (UP), said, "Dams were built using new technology in Gazipara and Gatiragheri areas of my union, but they collapsed within a year."
He urged the govt officials concerned to find a permanent solution to the issue.
The dam of Shakbaria River in the Katkata area of North Bedkashi Union is also at risk due to severe erosion.
Landslides have caused about four kilometres of embankment to erode from North Bedkashi to South Bedkashi.
In some areas, the soil on both sides has shifted, narrowing the embankment.
'Bomb cyclone' brings damaging winds, drenches California
Hurricane-force winds, surging surf and heavy rains from a powerful “atmospheric river” pounded California on Thursday, knocking out power to tens of thousands, causing flooding, and contributing to the deaths of at least two people, including a toddler whose home was crushed by a falling tree.
Raging seas damaged two historic piers, rock and mudslides closed down highways, and deep snow piled up at ski resorts in the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers — long plumes of moisture stretching far over the Pacific — to reach the drought-stricken state. The “Pineapple Express” storm originated near Hawaii and was pulled toward the West Coast by a rotating area of rapidly falling air pressure known as a “bomb cyclone.”
Even as rains were expected to let up and some evacuation orders lifted Thursday, crews were assessing damage, trying to restore power and beginning the cleanup while bracing for more wet and wild weather this weekend that could be particularly troublesome for communities along swollen rivers.
The blustery tempest that came ashore Wednesday knocked out power to more than 180,000 homes and businesses, according to poweroutage.us.
In Sonoma County, Aeon Tocchini, a 2-year-old boy, was killed when a redwood tree crumpled a section of his family's mobile home where he had been sitting on a sofa, authorities said. His father and neighbors freed the boy — nicknamed “Goldie” because of his light hair and sunny personality — but he couldn't be revived.
“He was the happiest child, always smiling and encouraging people,” his teary-eyed grandmother Aileen Tocchini said outside the damaged Occidental home where a red tricycle and yellow dump truck were buried under broken branches. "He was a love, an angel.”
Read more: Western NY death toll rises to 28 from cold, storm chaos
In Fairfield, a 19-year-old woman died after her vehicle hydroplaned on a flooded road and hit a utility pole, police said on Facebook.
The seaside village of Capitola in Santa Cruz County about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of San Francisco suffered possibly the worst damage as waves that were forecast to top 25 feet (7.6 meters) crashed into homes and restaurants at the mouth of Soquel Creek and knocked out a section of its historic wooden pier.
Surf shattered the windows at Zelda’s on the Beach, tossing furniture around inside the eatery. The Wharf House restaurant, at the end of the Capitola Wharf, was cut off from the mainland after a midspan of the wooden structure collapsed.
Wharf House owner Willie Case said he had a “great degree of sadness” as he looked at the damage from a cliff above the village and lamented this his employees would be out of work until the pier is repaired. He noted that in 1982, the former restaurant at that site fell into the sea. He anticipates more damage as new storms roll in.
“I don’t think the party’s over yet,” he said.
Hurricane-strength gusts as high as 101 mph (162 kph) toppled trees onto buildings and roads, knocked out power lines and blew down the roof on a gas station in South San Francisco.
National Weather Service meteorologist Warren Blier said the wind speed recorded on a Marin County hilltop was among the highest he could recall in a 25-year career.
A large eucalyptus tree in Oakland crashed through the roof of Victoria James' apartment as she was preparing for dinner Wednesday. She and her children ran into the hallway, initially thinking it was an earthquake, and braced for an aftershock.
As water began pouring into their home, the family fled with only clothes on their backs – some of the children without shoes.
“There’s big holes in the ceiling. In my bedroom, the living room and the kitchen for sure,” she said from her car. “Everything’s damaged.”
A California Highway Patrol officer responding to a crash in San Jose was struck and injured by a tree on Highway 17, Officer Ross Lee said. The officer was expected to survive.
In Southern California, a helicopter crew plucked a man clinging to bamboo branches from an island in the Ventura River, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver said.
Read more: Millions in US hunker down from frigid, deadly monster storm
The blustery winds and incessant rain were especially taxing for the homeless population in California, where 100,000 people live on the streets.
Glenn Scott, 59, who has arthritis in both knees and feet and needs a cane to walk, sought refuge on a bench outside the main San Francisco public library with a small group of other homeless people.
“I just have to do whatever I’ve gotta do and go wherever I can to get peace of mind,” Scott said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to allow for a quick response and to aid in cleanup from another powerful storm that hit just days earlier.
In the coastal community of Aptos, about dozen people were stuck at their homes because flooding, downed trees and debris blocked the road out, said Paul Karz, an employee at Seacliff State Beach. Violent waters had tossed picnic tables against a cliff, wiped out much of the beach boardwalk, damaged its wooden wharf and left only a “skeleton” of its sea wall.
Sonoma County authorities issued an evacuation warning for a string of towns along the Russian River, where greater flooding was expected by Sunday.
Sections of Highway 101 in Northern California were closed due to downed trees, while rockfall had shuttered several sections of the coastal Highway 1, including in the scenic Big Sur area.
As much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow fell on Mammoth Mountain over 24 hours and more was expected, delivering another bonus to Sierra Nevada ski areas.
The storm came days after a New Year’s Eve downpour led to evacuations in Northern California, where at least four people died in flooding.
Atmospheric rivers, named by researchers in the 1990s, occur globally but are especially significant on the U.S. West Coast, where they create 30% to 50% of annual precipitation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The storms won’t be enough to officially end the state’s ongoing drought, now entering its fourth year, but they have helped. Not including the latest deluge, recent storms moved parts of the state out of the “exceptional drought” category in the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most of the state, though, remains in the extreme or severe drought categories.