2013 Brahmanbaria tornado
F2 tornado | |
---|---|
Type | Tornado |
Formed | 22 March 2013 | 16:50
Duration | 15–20 minutes |
Dissipated | 22 March 2013 | 17:10
Highest winds |
|
Max. rating1 | F2 tornado |
Fatalities | 36 dead, 431 injured |
Damage | $20 million (2013 USD), 1.55 million BDT (2013 BDT)[2] |
Areas affected | Brahmanbaria District |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
A destructive
Meteorological history
The tornado formed at 16:50 local time. According to local residents, at 17:00,
It passed over bodies of water and became a waterspout, sending volumes of water into the air. Fishes at a nearby pond were picked up and deposited across the area. The water level in the pond reportedly fell by a foot. Moving through a marsh, the tornado also deposited large amounts of clay across the field. Many houses were destroyed and trees uprooted during the event, while residents heard a "strange noise" for many minutes. Intense lightning activity was interpreted from reports of a red fiery glow in the sky.[3]
There were no meteorological stations in the vicinity of the tornado, hence many scientific parameters cannot be determined.[3] According to government officials however, the travel speed of the tornado is thought to be up to 70 km/h (43 mph).[4] According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the tornado was assigned an F2 rating on the Fujita scale with wind speeds of 198 km/h (123 mph) (written as 55 m/s (180 ft/s)).[1][5] Field surveys indicate the average radius of the tornado ranged from 60 to 80 m (200 to 260 ft). At its maximum, the tornado was 100 to 150 m (330 to 490 ft) wide. A 17 km2 (6.6 sq mi) area was affected by strong tornadic winds, with a 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi) area suffering extreme damage. It was reported that total damage and 90% of the recorded fatalities occurred in this area.[3]
Impact
Between its 12-kilometer travel distance from Ramrail to Ahmedabad, the narrow but strong and deadly tornado also struck 20 other villages. The village of Dubla suffered the greatest damage, and widespread major damage also occurred in Fulbaria and Chinnari. At least 28,913 people lived in the affected area, or which, 8,615 were significantly affected. At least 38 deaths and 431 injuries were recorded.[
Numerous homes, most of which were small and of frail construction, were completely destroyed, though a few well-built structures sustained major damage as well. Debris was scattered in all directions, and homes that were hit ranged from lightweight metal shacks, to small masonry homes. Several people were killed after being picked up and thrown by the tornado, and two of the fatalities were a woman and her baby, tossed 250 yards from their home. The woman was pronounced dead while her child was transported to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where she died later that evening.[7] The body of another woman was found near a latrine, and three relatives of one survivor were among the fatalities.[7] The partial collapse of a district jailhouse resulted in the death of a guard, but all the other occupants survived.[8][9]
Several thousand trees were uprooted, snapped, or debarked by the tornado, while utility poles and lines suffered major damage. Some 1,300 livestock were killed by the tornado as well.[
Aftermath
About 100 people were immediately transported to medical centers for their injuries. The initial death toll was reported at 10.
Gallery
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Toppled trees and electrical poles.
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Damage to homes.
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Debris strewn across the ground.
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Damage near two ponds.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Bangladesh Meteorological Department Newsletter". Vol. 3, no. 3. Bangladesh Meteorological Department. 2013.
- ^ Global Catastrophe Recap - March 2013, Aon Benfield, April 2013
- ^ S2CID 130273611.
- ^ Rahman, Mohammed Ataur. "Case Study: The Brahmanbaria Tornado-2013" (PDF). RCE Greater Dhaka. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- S2CID 115140567.
- ^ a b Shelter Cluster; WASH Cluster; Early Recovery Cluster (2013). Tornado in North Eastern Bangladesh: Brahmanbaria District Joint Need Assessment Report, 2013 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Brahmanbaria tornado toll reaches 22". The Daily Star. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Farid Ahmed (23 March 2013). "Deadly tornado strikes Bangladesh". CNN. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- Times of India. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Death toll in Bangladesh tornado climbs to 23". News18. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Government of Bangladesh (24 March 2013). "Situation Report on Tornado in Brahmanbaria - 25 Mar 2013". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 8 January 2022.