NEWS: Over 1000 People Missing As Freak Storm Lashes Bay Of Bengal

Over one thousand people in three coastal districts of India and hundreds of fishermen in Bangladesh have been reported missing after a freak storm in the Bay Of Bengal. The death toll currently stands at 50 but is expected to rise sharply as more bodies are retrieved. 100,000 people are believed homeless in the area from heavy flooding caused by the storms heavy rains and high seas.



The Bay of Bengal is often subjected to severe weather conditions for part of the year but this storm was unusual in it's intensity and damage caused. Hopefully these fisherman will return over the next few weeks as many have done so in the past after heavy storms.

Looks like the main storm hit a couple days ago and we didn't hear much about it till just the last few hours, hmmm. Seems it's rather late for the monsoon season too.

Click for Satellite image of the tropical depression


Flood-affected people in India. At least 31 people were killed and some 62,000 left homeless when heavy rains pounded coastal areas of India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal.(AFP/File/Sebastian D'Souza)

[edit on 21-9-2005 by Regenmacher]

Regardless of what natural disaster might befall us here in the US, we can always look to Bangladesh to remind us of how fortunate we really are. We also should be reminded that the grossly impoverished nation of Bengladesh donated one million dollars in aid for the recovery from Katrina.

Bengladesh Katrina Donation

[edit on 2005/9/21 by GradyPhilpott]

How many "unusually strong storm" stories have there been lately? I am convinced that if it's true that stroms are stronger than ever before, then the weather is definitely being controlled.

You're wrong. This type of storm cycle occurred in the forties, fifties, and sixties.

JOE BASTARDI, ACCUWEATHER.COM: Well, first of all, it's not just forecasters say now. Accuweather.com had a forecast out before the season began, warning people about this season being a particularly nasty one.

Back in the '40's and '50s as far as our climatological pattern, there were huge hurricanes that hit the United States. And all my research indicates that September is going to be a very active month. The rest of the hurricane season's very active.

www.foxnews.com...

The new forecast, based on atmospheric conditions and warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures, would mean a tie for the record number of tropical storms. The most active season was 21 storms in 1933, according to NOAA.

www.ohsep.louisiana.gov...

Expect more hurricanes large and small in the next 10 to 20 years, the director of the federal National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.

Max Mayfield told a congressional panel that he believes the Atlantic Ocean is in a cycle of increased hurricane activity that parallels an increase that started in the 1940s and ended in the 1960s.

The ensuing lull lasted until 1995, then "it's like somebody threw a switch," Mayfield said. The number and power of hurricanes increased dramatically.

news.yahoo.com.../ap/20050921/ap_on_sc/more_hurricanes

Here's a link supporting your contention:

www.physorg.com...


[edit on 2005/9/21 by GradyPhilpott]