1.

INTRODUCTION
Cyclone Sidr was the strongest named cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. It formed in the central Bay of Bengal, and quickly strengthened to reach peak 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), which would make it a Category-5 equivalent tropical cyclone on the SaffirSimpson Scale. The storm eventually made landfall in Bangladesh on November 15, 2007. The storm caused large-scale evacuations here. 3,447 deaths were blamed on the storm. International groups pledged US$95 million to repair the damage, which was estimated at $1.7 billion.

2. METEOROLOGICAL HISTORY
On November 9, an area of disturbed weather developed southeast of the Andaman Islands, with a weak low-level circulation near the Nicobar Islands. Initially moderate upper-level wind shear inhibited organization, while strong diffluence aloft aided in developing convection. Vertical shear decreased greatly as the circulation became better defined, and a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued on November 11 while located a short distance south of the Andaman Islands. Around the same time, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) designated the system as Depression BOB 09. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 06B after Dvorak estimates indicated winds of 65 km/h (40 mph). Later that day, it intensified into a deep depression as it moved slowly north-westward. The IMD upgraded the system to Cyclonic Storm Sidr early on November 12. The system then began to intensify quickly as it moved slowly northwestward, and the IMD upgraded it to a severe cyclonic storm later that day and a very severe cyclonic storm early the next day. On the morning of November 15, the cyclone intensified to reach peak winds of 215 km/h (135 mph) according to the IMD, and a peak of 260 km/h (160 mph) according to the JTWC best track. Sidr officially made landfall around 1700 UTC later that day, with sustained winds of 215 km/h (135 mph). It weakened quickly after landfall and the final advisories were issued early on November 16. The name Sidr was contributed by Oman; it is an Arabic name of a tree

belonging to the genus Ziziphus, specifically the Ziziphus spina-christi. There is another saying that it is derived from the Sinhalese Language where "Sidr" means 'hole' or 'eye.

3. BEFORE

THE

STORM

As it intensified to a Category 4-equivalent cyclone on November 15, thousands of emergency officials were put on standby in eastern India and Bangladesh in advance of the storm's arrival. A forecast height of the storm surge predicted by a numerical model developed by Dr. Hassan Mashriqui (Louisiana State University) was communicated to the emergency response authorities in Bangladesh, prompting a massive evacuation of low-lying coastal areas. A total of 2 million people in Bangladesh evacuated to emergency shelters. The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) also issued a cyclone alert for Orissa and West Bengal on November 14. In Bangladesh, an emergency cabinet meeting decided to withdraw weekly leave for the government officials to join the evacuation process. Over 40,000 Red Cross volunteers were deployed to order residents in the 15 affected provinces into special cyclone and flood shelters. The main ports have been closed.

4. IMPACT
Coastal districts of Bangladesh faced heavy rainfall as an early impact of the cyclone. Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh experienced drizzle and gusty winds. Total damages came close to $450 million. Tidal waves reaching up to a height of 3 metres (9.8 ft) were reported in the coastal areas of north Chennai in southern state of Tamil Nadu in India, triggering panic among the fishing community. The damage in Bangladesh was extensive, including tin shacks flattened, houses and schools blown away and enormous tree damage. Some local officials have described the damage as being even worse than that from the 1991 cyclone. The entire cities of Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalokati District were hit hard by the storm surge of over 5 meters (16 ft). About a quarter of the world heritage site Sundarbans were damaged. Researchers said mangrove forest Sundarban will take at least 40 years to recover itself from this catastrophe. Much of the capital city of Dhaka was also severely affected, as electricity and water service were cut and significant damage was reported there due to winds and flooding. The local agricultural industry was also devastated, as many rice crops which have a December harvest were lost.

At least 3,447 deaths have been reported. The hardest-hit area was Barguna, where 423 people were reported to have been killed according to local officials. Patuakhali was also hard-hit, with 385 deaths reported. Most of the deaths confirmed thus far were due to the winds, although 13 of them have been as a result of capsized boats in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh. The head of the Red Crescent in Bangladesh expects the death toll to reach as high as 10,000. Over 3,000 other fishermen were reported missing on over 500 fishing boats.

5. AFTERMATH
In the days before Sidrs landfall, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) issued cyclone warnings, including advisory messages using the Governments warning signal system. Warnings were sent to communities regularly, and once, warning signal number four was even hoisted on 14 November, resulting in 44,000 volunteers who immediately activated community based warning systems, utilizing megaphones and other devices. After the storm, the Armed Forces immediately launched massive search and rescue and early relief operations. They also played an important role in helping communities bury their dead and remove dead livestock. By Saturday, 17 November, despite access problems, the search and rescue and relief activities had been scaled up considerably. While telephone communications were partially restored, power was still out and was not restored for weeks to come. Cyclone Sidr slammed the highly vulnerable low lying densely populated coastal areas of Bangladesh with heavy rain, winds of up to 120 miles/hr, and a storm surge. Sidr may be the strongest cyclone to hit the country since a cyclone killed over 143,000 Bangladeshis in 1991. Although, the death from Sidr number in the hundreds but damage to homes, crops and livelihoods could be extensive. Under a Cyclone Preparedness Program, volunteers evacuated at least 600,000 Bangladeshis in the path of the storm. Many were housed in 1,800 multipurpose disaster shelters built along the coast. Relief organizations distributed seven-day emergency disaster kits of food, blankets and clothing for evacuated families. Since 1991, the donor community, including the US and EC, has supported disasterpreparedness to mitigate the impact of tropical storms and improve post-disaster relief and reconstruction. Cyclone walls planted within trees are in place to protect vulnerable areas from storm surges. Disaster shelters on stilts housing refugees plus early warning systems and timely evacuations appear to have greatly reduced the fatalities from Sidr. It did kill 3,447 people, but this was much less than the 140,000 that died in 1991.

5.1 NATIONAL RESPONSE

After the storm, 18 Bangladesh Air Force helicopters and five Bangladesh Navy ships were immediately dispatched with food, medicine, and relief supplies for the hardest-hit areas. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society initially asked 400 million Taka (US$5,807,594) to the international community. As part of the Bangladeshi cricket team's tour in New Zealand, a charity Twenty20 match was held with all funds raised going to the victims. In addition, the International Cricket Council donated US$250,000 to the funds at the start of the match. The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management allocated 4,000 metric tonnes of rice, 7,500 tents, 18,000 blankets, and 30 million Taka (US$435,569) in relief grants. About 13,000 housing packages, consisting of iron sheets for roofing and family kits were prepared for immediate distribution. A special 350 million Taka (US$5,081,645) fund for housing was established by November 22, 2007. At that time, 732 medical teams were deployed to the affected areas.

5.2 INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

International communities had expanded their hands towards Bangladesh on this disaster. Here is a contribution list.

6. POST STORM DISEASES

People of the cyclone affected area experienced severe health problems such as diseases like diarrhoea, which spread due to shortage of drinking water. The landfall of Sidr had followed the devastation caused by consecutive floods earlier in 2007. By January 15, 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 44 people had Jaundice, 3,572 had Diarrhoea, 3,210 had Pneumonia, 7,538 were suffering from a skin disease, 2,309 had eye infections, and 10,349 had Typhoid Fever. To help reduce further spreading of the diseases, the Government of Norway provided the WHO with four water treatment plants to be used in areas affected by Sidr.

7. CASE STUDY
EFFECT OF CYCLONE SIDR ON THE SUNDARBANS
Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh late Thursday, ripped through the southwestern coaser brought winds of over 220 km/h (150mph) and a tidal surge of several metres, killing over thousands of people and demolishing houses, crops, vegetables and plants alike along its trail of devastation over an area of thousands of sqkm. The authorities confirmed at least 2,3001 deaths but fear that the final toll could be significantly higher. An estimated one million families are thought to have been affected2. The cyclonic storm of hurricane strength, Sidr, was one of the 10 fiercest cyclones that hit the region of Bangladesh in the 131 years between 1876 and 2007. Around 95 percent standing crops in eleven coastal districts have been affected badly by the cyclone Sidr3 and the farming of shrimp and cattle were also damaged immensely. The shrimp hatcheries in Satkhira, Khulna and Cox's Bazar were badly affected. It has been predicted that Sidr would take its toll on the livelihood of ultra-poor people, as inflation rate will increase. The largest mangrove forest of the world, the Sundarbans and its biodiversity including plants and wildlife suffered immense losses. The cyclone Sidr, with a ferocious wind force of over 220 km/h, hit the eastern parts of the forest, especially the Chandpai and Sarankhola range including the Kochikhali, Kotka, Hiron Point, and the Dublarchar, leaving a trail of severe devastation4. It is predicted that much of the wildlife and plants of the Sundarbans might have been washed away by the tidal surge. The uprooted trees and destroyed houses on the edge of the forest are reminiscent of the devastation brought to the forest by the cyclone of 1988. The damage done to the forest by Sidr with its seven feet high tidal surge accompanied with a wind speed of over 220 kmph might be much worse than it was in 1988. According to official records, nine tigers and several hundred deer perished when a six feet high tidal surge accompanied by 160 kmph wind hit the Sundarbans in 1988. Several newspapers published photographs of the corpses of deer, tigers and other wildlife. Many wildlife including, royal bengal tigers, deer, crocodiles, wild boars, monkeys, snakes, birds and many species of plants might have been washed away and perished under the weight of uprooted trees of the world natural heritage site. The Sidr practically ruined the beauty of the Sundarbans and cause

immense loss. In recent times more than 400 tigers and hundreds of deer were spotted in the Sundarbans. The Sidr first hit south-east part of the Sundarbans then moved towards the north-east region of Bangladesh passing through Barguna, Pautuakhali, Jhalokati, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Barisal, Bhola, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Munshigong, Narayanganj, Dhaka, Comilla, Bramanbaria, Narsingdi, Habigang, Kishoregonj, Maulvi Bazar, Sunamganj and Sylhet. Effect on flora The natural vegetation of the Sundarbans is composed mainly of halophytic tree species. The eastern part is mainly dominated by Sundri and Gewa, which were affected by cyclone Sidr on 15 November 2007. Initially, the affected area is delineated from a Terra MODIS satellite image acquired on 18 November 2007. Its resolution is 250 meters. The visual interpretation key was used to estimate the area. It was estimated that around 1,900 sqkm (31% of total the Sundarbans area) of area in the eastern part of the Sundarbans was affected by the cyclone. Various species, mainly Sundri and Gewa are physically affected within this area. Effect on fauna The flora and fauna of the Sundarbans, became a major casualty of the devastating cyclone. According to experts, 40 species of mammals, some 400 species of birds and more than 200 species of fishes fell victim to the calamity- one of the worst in recent memory. The Sundarbans is the home of the royal bengal tigers, already an endangered animal, as well as of many other species like spotted deer which are on the verge of extinction. Total affected area in the Sundarbans is about 1900 sqkm (31% of White spots are cloud MODIS Satellite image of the Sundarbans Area on 18th November 2007, after cyclone Sidr hit Forest Area Affected by cyclone Sidr. Over a million people living around the Sundarbans depend on this forest for their livelihood. The forest is an environmental shield for the people living in the countrys southwestern region. The rivers in the estuary of the Sundarbans hold more than 200 species of fish including Hilsha, Fatty Catfish, Bass, White Grunt, Eel Tail Catfish, Indian Salmon, Crocker, Scats, Mullets,

Ribbon Fish, Bombay Duck, Anchovys etc. Besides, these rivers are the sanctuary of various types of shrimps like tiger shrimps, giant fresh water prawn, Indian white shrimp, green tiger shrimp, brown shrimp etc.Ca

8. CONCLUSION
In all, Sidr affected around million families comprising around 9 million people. More than 1.5 million homes were destroyed. Just as distressing, around 1 million hectares of crops predominantly wet-season (known as transplanted aman) rice were damaged or ruined. To mitigate recurrent storm damage (from cyclones and floods) and the potential spread of waterborne diseases, a longterm program is required that includes a focus on safe water supply and sanitation facilities. It is also recommended to work towards institutional decentralization to increase effectiveness of services.

9. REFERENCES
BBC Ministry of Agriculture The Daily Star, 17 Nov 2007 www.bangladeshonline.com en.wikipedia.org www.nytimes.com www.thedailygreen.com www.worldbank.org.bd