The people of Myanmar and Bangladesh have never experienced a cyclone like this: Cyclone “Mocha” swept across the country with great force. Despite the damage, less happened than feared.
The clean-up has begun in the city of Sittwe in Myanmar: covered houses, fallen trees, flooded streets, the telephone network is down and so is the internet. The storm has abated, but it was a storm unlike any they’ve seen here.
“I’m very scared,” a local resident told the AFP news agency, “because I’ve never experienced anything like it.” She is 51, but she has never seen such a strong storm. “There have been storms before, but not like this. I didn’t think something like this would happen.”
“Lessons learned from previous cyclones”
“Mocha” was classified as category 5, the highest level. The storm was the strongest since 2007. The weather services had predicted wind speeds of up to 260 kilometers per hour – and severe destruction. That’s why it was said on Saturday that everyone should get to safety. That may have saved many lives, says another resident.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this, but we anticipated the storm as the weather bureau announced and also learned lessons from previous cyclones,” he says. The workers followed the instructions of the authorities and did not go to work on the coast. “There was no danger to people’s lives, but homes, belongings and roads were damaged.”
Few reports of dead and injured
Cleanup efforts have also begun on the other side of the border, in the town of Teknaf in Bangladesh. Here, too, there is a slight sigh of relief: Less happened than feared. “I thank Allah because I was afraid that the cyclone would be very strong. But it had less impact,” says Mohammed Ibrahim. It could have been worse, he says. “Nevertheless, many houses were damaged. People have no money and nothing to eat. Many of their belongings were damaged.”
Aid organizations feared for the Muslim Rohingya refugee camps in particular. More than 400 makeshift homes were destroyed, but there are few reports of deaths or injuries. “We have received an initial report from the field saying that in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, where one million Rohingya live, the impact is less,” said Hrusikesh Harichandan of the Red Cross. 1,700 people were affected and around 300 houses were damaged. “But we will be able to get more detailed information tomorrow.”
750,000 people fled inland
On Saturday, many people had already fled inland from the endangered areas. According to the authorities, there were 750,000 in Bangladesh alone. The country has invested heavily in civil protection in recent years. Thousands of shelters were built – for people and also for cattle.
In addition, there is an effective alarm system with early announcements: with cell broadcast via mobile phone, but also simply with helpers who make announcements with the megaphone. This system was also used now in the case of cyclone “Mocha”. It helped people get to safety in time.