Coasts: Coastal Flooding - Cyclone Sidr Case Study

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Cyclone Sidr, Bangladesh (2007)

Causes

  • Tropical cyclone (category 4 storm)
  • Low Pressure (966-918mb)
  • Powerful wind (200-260kmph)
  • Monsoon Rains
  • Snow melting from the Himalayas (Ice on the land melt)
  • Bay of Bengal high tides + bay encourages coastal squeeze
  • Strong rainfall (from tropical cyclone)
  • 6m high waves

Effects

  • Land formed due to mass deposition
  • Shifting of river channels in deltas
  • Subsidence (From isostatic change)
  • 15,000 deaths
  • $1,700,000,000 of economic losses

Overall summary

- Bangladesh has a low lying river delta (1-3m above sea)- 46% lives <10m above sea level- Most densley populated country- Delta's unconsolidated sediment is very vulnerable to erosion- Deforestation of mangroves remove defences (for shrimp farms)

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