Cyclone Aila was a severe tropical cyclone that struck Bangladesh on the ​25​th​ ​May 2009​. The cyclone's intense rainfall ​(120mm of rain in a few hours), ​very ​strong winds (270km/h) and large storm surge ​caused ​widespread flooding and ​devastation ​across Bangladesh.

1. CYCLONE: A CASE STUDY OF AILA
WEST BENGAL AND BANGLADESH
PRESENTED BY : ANAND KUMAR RAI
ROLL NO.: GEO/20/405
UNIV. ROLL NO.: 200113500006
MENTOR’S NAME: DR. SUSMITA BHOWMIK
ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE BURDWAN
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
1

2. NATURAL HAZARD
 Natural hazards are defined as environmental phenomena that have the potential to impact
societies and the human environment. These should not be confused with other types of hazards,
such as manmade hazards.
 For example, a flood resulting from changes in river flows is a natural hazard, whereas flooding
due to a dam failure is considered a manmade hazard, and therefore excluded from the National
Risk Index.
2

3. Cyclone
In India, cyclones are classified by:
 Strength of associated winds,
 Storm surges
 Exceptional rainfall occurrences.
Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area distinguished
by swift and often destructive air circulation.
Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
Image Source: Cyclone Aila - Wikipedia
3

4. OVERVIEW OF AILA
DESCRIPTION
• Formed : May 25, 2009
• Dissipated : May 27, 2009
• Highest winds
3-minute sustained: 110 km/h (70 mph)
1-minute sustained : 120 km/h (75 mph)
• Fatalities / missing : 339 total
• INJURED : OVER 800 PEOPLE
• Damage : At least $1 billion (2009 USD)
• Areas affected : India, Bangladesh
• Damage area : coastal area of bengal
4

5. Meteorological history
Late on May 21, 2009, the Joint Typhoon
Warning Center reported that a Tropical
Disturbance had persisted about 950 kilometres
(590 mi) to the south of Kolkata, in India and
had developed within the Southwest Monsoon.
During May 22, 2009, the disturbance
developed further with a Tropical Cyclone a
Cyclonic storm and had been named as Aila
whilst located about 350 kilometres (220 mi) to
the southeast of Sagar Island.
Aila became a severe cyclonic storm at
06UTC on May 25 and made landfall at its
peak intensity (60kt, 967hPa) between 08
and 09UTC.
The disturbance at this time had a broad and
poorly organized area of deep convection,
which was located to the southeast of the
low level circulation center which had
consolidated into a single circulation during
the previous 12 hours
5

6. PREPARATIONS
 Officials in India evacuated thousands of residents from coastal areas
ahead of Cyclone Aila.
 In addition, several warning alerts were issued before the cyclone
hit Kolkata; however, no alarm bells were rung.
 In the Bhola District of Bangladesh, an estimated 500,000 people
evacuated to higher areas and shelters as Aila neared landfall.
 Tourists were advised to stay in their hotels due to the short amount of
time to prepare for the storm.
6

7. Affected area of cyclone in west Bengal
The areas and districts affected by the cyclone in West Bengal include
• East Midnapore
• Howrah, Hooghly,
• Burdwan
• South 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
In the West Bengal state, more than 100,000 people were left homeless as a result of Aila
7

8. NEWS and ARTICLE
Cyclone Ailia was not a strong storm, but its heavy rains and storm surges were enough to swamp the
Mouths of the Ganges River in Bangladesh and India. Some islands in the Bay of Bengal and the
mangrove forests of the Sundarbans region were inundated and still cut off from relief and rescue
workers as of May 29, 2009. Clean drinking water was an acute problem: tidal surges continued to
wash salty water inland over damaged levees, and salt water cannot be decontaminated with regular
water purification tablets, according to reports from BBC news.
Aila almost completely fills this true-color image
from May 25, 2009. The storm stretches from the
Bay of Bengal deep into India, Bangladesh, and
Burma (Myanmar).
Image of the Day for May 29, 2009
Instrument:
Terra — MODIS
8

9. May 11, 2009 May 28, 2009
This pair of images shows flooding in India and
Bangladesh on May 28, 2009, following the landfall
of Cyclone Aila.
Instrument:
Aqua — MODIS
Floods from Cyclone Aila in India and Bangladesh 9

10. A flooded village is seen in this aerial view taken from an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter in the Cyclone-hit area of Patharpatima Island in the Sundarbans delta, about 100 km (62 miles) south
of Kolkata, India on May 27, 2009.
AILA CYCLONE : IMAGES
10

11. PHOTOS : CYCLONE AILA
11

12. DESTRUCTION COUNT
INDIA
In India, at least 149 people were killed two by electrocution, and hundreds others were left homeless as
torrential rains led to flooding. High winds uprooted numerous trees, blocking roads throughout the
region.[More than 15,000 people in eight villages were reportedly isolated from relief crews by severe
flooding. At least 18 of the 45 fatalities in West Bengal were in Kolkata, the region where Aila made landfall.
All transit systems in the city of Kolkata were halted and daily life was at a standstill due to the storm.[The
areas and districts affected by the cyclone in West Bengal include East Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly,
Burdwan, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata. In the West Bengal state, more than 100,000 people were left
homeless as a result of Aila.At least 100 river embankments were breached by storm surge produced by the
cyclone.
BANGLADESH
Torrential rains from Aila resulted in 190 fatalities and at least 7,000 injuries across
the Khulna and Satkhira Districts.Across 11 of the nation's 64 districts, approximately
600,000 thatched homes, 8,800 km (5,500 mi) of roads, 1,000 km (620 mi) of embankments, and
123,000 hectares (300,000 acres) of land were damaged or destroyed.An estimated 58,950 animals
were killed by the storm with up to 50,000 deer missing. On the island of Nizum Dwip, nearly all
structures were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving roughly 20,000 people homeless
12

13. Environmental impact ON SUNDARBANS
 The Sunderbans, a region which houses 265 of the
endangered Bengal tigers, was inundated with 6.1 m
(20 ft) of water.
 Dozens of the tigers are feared to have drowned in Aila's
storm surge along with deer and crocodiles.
 On 27 May, conservationists have begun a search for the
tigers throughout the forest. The search teams were
supplied with fresh drinking water for the tigers as their
natural water source was inundated with salt water from
Aila's storm surge
Sundarbans National Park - Wikipedia
13

14. Table 1. Cyclone Aila-affected areas and the number of affected households. 14

15. Government Steps
• State Government in co-operation with the central counterparts
took up the rescue and the rehabilitation program. Army was
deployed to the affected areas
• The next day, the army used helicopters to provide food to the
affected population. About 2,500 troops were deployed to West
Bengal on May 26, 2009.
• Several naval relief teams were deployed to the Sunderbans region
where an estimated 400,000 people were marooned by flooding
• Roughly 100 relief camps were established in West Bengal shortly after the storm passed. On 27 May,
400 troops form the National Disaster Response Force were deployed to the state for relief
operations. The Government of India released Rs.10 million (US$209,775) in relief funds to the affected
areas on 26 May. Two MI-17 helicopters were also sent to air-drop food supplies to the worst affected
areas in West Bengal.
15

16. * Farhana S. (2011). Suitability of pond sand filters as safe drinking water solution in storm surge prone areas of bangladesh:n case
study of post-aila situation in shyamnogar, satkhira district, Khulna.
* Sharmin S.; Naznin R. (2013), Impacts of Cyclone Aila on Educational Institutions: A Study of South-Western Bangladesh.Springer.
* Mitra A; Haldar P.; Banerjee K. (2010). Changes of selected hydrological parameters in Hooghly estuary in response to a severe
tropical cyclone (Aila), Indian Jounal of Geo-Marine Sciences, Vol. 40(1). pp 32-36.
* ADRA (April 2011). Impact Evaluation of the Post Aifa Recovery Project in Sundarbans, West Bengal, India: Executive Summary.
* Hasan, M,, (july, 2010), Climate induced displacement:case study of cyclone Aila in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh.
* Mallick, B; Rahaman K. R.; Vogt J. (2011). Coastal livelihood and physical infrastructure in Bangladesh after cyclone Aila,Springer.
References 16

17. THANK YOU
17