ABC News reported that India and Bangladesh have started evacuating millions of people while maintaining social distancing after reports of a strong cyclone coming towards the two countries. It is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning and hit West Bengal, and Orissa (Odisha) states.
Residents are warned of extensive damage due to strong winds, heavy rainfall, tidal waves, and flooding in areas such as Kolkata. Cyclone Amphan have winds of 220-230 kilometers per hour, the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, and may likely weaken as it hits the coast of India and Bangladesh.
It is forecast to be the second super cyclone that has formed over the Bay of Bengal since 1999, said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, India's meteorological chief. The super cyclone at that time hit Odisha state and left nearly 10,000 dead.
"This type of cyclone can be disastrous...It is completely unsafe," Mohapatra said.
Cyclone Amphan
Cyclone Amphan is predicted to pass between the seaside resort town of Digha in India and Hatiya Island in Bangladesh but a weaker speed of 165 to 175 kilometers per hour. Its winds whirl at 700 kilometers from its eye as it approaches land.
Mohapatra warned that damages would include uprooted trees, electric poles, and damage to old or temporary housing. He also said that the strong cyclone would most impact many districts of West Bengal.
Furthermore, Kolkata is at risk of flooding because of crowding and poor drainage, while storm surge would raise the river levels in the Bengal delta.
According to the Meteorological Department in Bangladesh, the cyclone could flood a big area in the southwestern and southern Bangladesh due to tidal waves that are 4 to 5 feet higher than the usual, along with the heavy rainfall and high wind speeds.
Maritime ports will maintain a danger signal of up to 7, while 19 coastal districts and their offshore islands are also at risk of severe destruction. Bangladesh authorities have already asked fishing trawlers and in the Bay of Bengal to take shelter until further notice.
The cyclone is expected to move away fast and weaken by Thursday, once it reaches land. The eye of the storm is likely to pass through the Sunderban mangrove forests, which would also likely absorb some impact from the storm, according to the officials.
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Millions are Expected to be Evacuated
Thousands of cyclone shelter and makeshift structures will be prepared per Junior Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman's orders to take more than 5 million people to safety before the cyclone crosses Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, India has already deployed 25 teams from the National Disaster Response Force, and 12 others are ready in reserve, according to a twitter post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held an emergency meeting on Monday to review the preparations.
Odisha, who has about 560 permanent cyclone shelters and identified more than 7,000 public buildings to keep people safe, plans to evacuate 130,000 people immediately. Presently, they have already moved 20,000 people to safer places and will continue to do so until Tuesday.
