Tropical Cyclone Mahasen

Landfall | Summary
Posting Date: May 16, 2013, 2:00:00 PM

Damage from Tropical Cyclone Mahasen Less Than Feared The first tropical cyclone in the Northern Indian Ocean this season, Tropical Cyclone Mahasen, made landfall northwest of Chittagong, Bangladesh, at about 0600 UTC (2 a.m. EDT) on Thursday May 16. Earlier this week the storm killed at least seven people in Sri Lanka before making a slow passage across the Bay of Bengal. As it came ashore in Bangladesh, Tropical Cyclone Mahasen delivered torrential rain of 250mm or so and maximum sustained winds of up to 100km/h (60mph), destroying thousands of poorly constructed homes. Its arrival coincided with low tide, but storm surge still caused waist-deep flooding in some areas of this low-lying coastline. As many as a dozen fatalities have been reported, caused by drowning and falling trees, and at least 50 people have been injured.

Accumulated Precipitation Associated with Tropical Cyclone Mahasen (Source AIR)

Preparations The storm’s slow approach gave authorities in Bangladesh plenty of time to prepare and to issue warnings. Dry food was stockpiled, 113 medical teams were mobilized and leave was cancelled for all government employees. Shops and businesses in the area shuttered ahead of the storm, the port of Chittagong closed and the airports at Chittagong and Cox's Bazar suspended operations. According to the U.N., more than 4.1 million people were at risk from the cyclone. In Bangladesh, almost one million people were evacuated to “cyclone proof” buildings and other shelters. As the storm neared, several Indian states issued storm alerts and Myanmar, Bangladesh’s neighbor to the east, evacuated about 166,000 people from its northwest coast. Current Conditions Bangladesh initially identified Tropical Cyclone Mahasen as a level seven storm on its scale (out of a maximum of ten), but as it approached landfall the storm became disorganized and weakened considerably. Tropical Cyclone Mahasen also veered west of its predicted path, sparing the major population concentrations in the area, including Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, and leaving India and Myanmar virtually unscathed. As a result, less damage was experienced than was anticipated. In coastal areas the sun was shining by afternoon and there were plans to close shelters by evening. Forecast Track and Intensity Mahasen, currently moving north-northeast at about 45 km/h (28 mph), is expected to lose cyclone status as it continues inland and encounters rugged terrain and high vertical wind shear. The remnant system will continue to spread heavy rain into easternmost India and northern Myanmar, exposing many areas to the risk of flooding and landslides. Insured losses, however, are not expected to be significant.

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Posting Date: May 16, 2013, 2:00:00 PM