Cyclone Amphan (2020)

Cyclone Amphan (2020)
Name	Amphan
Year	2020
Basin	North Indian Ocean
Form date	16 May 2020
Dissipated	21 May 2020
1-min winds	140
3-min winds	120
Pressure	924
Affected	India; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka; Bhutan; Myanmar

Cyclone Amphan (2020) Cyclone Amphan made landfall in May 2020 as an exceptionally severe tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal that caused catastrophic damage across West Bengal, Bangladesh, and adjacent regions. Originating from a low-pressure area in the Andaman Sea and tracked by agencies including the India Meteorological Department, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Amphan intensified rapidly into a super cyclonic storm before weakening at landfall near Sagar Island and the Sundarbans. The system intersected with contemporaneous crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing tensions in India–Bangladesh relations, complicating response and recovery.

Background and meteorological history

Amphan originated from an equatorial convective disturbance associated with the 2020 Madden–Julian oscillation pulse and an active monsoon trough east of the Nicobar Islands. The system was first identified by the India Meteorological Department on 16 May and was monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and the World Meteorological Organization regional bodies. Favorable sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, low vertical wind shear influenced by the Indian Ocean Dipole, and enhanced outflow near the Tibetan Plateau facilitated rapid intensification to a super cyclonic storm with estimated 1‑minute winds noted by JTWC and 3‑minute winds by IMD. Satellite analysis from INSAT and remote-sensing products from NOAA and EUMETSAT documented an eye formation before Amphan recurved north-northwest toward the Sundarbans and made landfall on 20 May near Sagar Island and Kolkata. Post-landfall interaction with the Eastern Ghats and increased friction weakened the system as it moved inland toward Jharkhand and dissipated over Bihar and Odisha.

Preparations and warnings

Early advisories were issued by the India Meteorological Department, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, and regional offices of the World Meteorological Organization, prompting mass evacuations coordinated by the National Disaster Response Force and state disaster management authorities such as the West Bengal State Disaster Management Secretariat and the Bangladesh Disaster Management Directorate. Coastal municipalities including Kolkata Municipal Corporation, district administrations in South 24 Parganas, and port authorities at the Port of Kolkata suspended services and prepared shelters managed by Red Crescent Society and Indian Red Cross Society. International agencies including United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UNICEF issued preparedness funding and prepositioned relief supplies while the World Bank and Asian Development Bank monitored economic exposure. The timing during the COVID-19 pandemic required coordination with public health agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to adapt evacuation protocols.

Impact and damage

Amphan produced extreme wind, storm surge, and rainfall that devastated infrastructure across West Bengal and Khulna Division of Bangladesh. In Kolkata and surrounding municipalities including Howrah and North 24 Parganas, high winds downed transmission towers belonging to Power Grid Corporation of India and disrupted services to facilities such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and the Kolkata Metro. The storm surge inundated parts of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, affecting wildlife including Bengal tiger habitats and damaging ecotourism nodes managed by local NGOs and the World Wildlife Fund. Rural districts experienced destruction of homes, with shelters operated by the Border Guards Bangladesh and local police reporting casualties. Agricultural losses hit rice paddies and aquaculture farms in Satkhira, Khulna, and South 24 Parganas; fisheries associations and agrarian cooperatives estimated wide crop failure. The cyclone caused fatalities recorded by state authorities and the Dhaka Tribune and incurred widespread displacement recorded by International Organization for Migration assessments. Transportation networks including the Howrah Bridge, national highways such as NH 16, and rail links managed by Indian Railways faced outages and structural damage.

Humanitarian response and relief efforts

Immediate response involved deployment of the National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, Border Security Force, and Bangladesh Armed Forces for search, rescue, and restoration, coordinated with humanitarian agencies such as International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNICEF, and World Food Programme. The Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh announced relief packages disbursed through state and divisional treasuries, while international donors including the United Kingdom, United States Agency for International Development, and the European Union provided emergency assistance. NGOs such as BRAC, Oxfam, and Save the Children delivered water, sanitation, and hygiene kits to displacement camps, with epidemiological guidance from the World Health Organization to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. Reconstruction planning involved multilateral engagement with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank for longer-term shelter and infrastructure finance.

Economic and environmental consequences

Economic assessments by institutions including the Reserve Bank of India and the Bangladesh Bank estimated losses across sectors: agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing clusters in West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation zones, and port operations at the Kolkata Port Trust. The insurance sector including the General Insurance Corporation of India faced claims for property and crop losses. Environmental impacts included saline intrusion affecting soil chemistry in the Sundarbans, damage to mangrove buffers documented by researchers at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, and mortality among estuarine species impacting local livelihoods tied to cooperatives and markets like the Kolkata Fish Market. Carbon sequestration losses from mangrove damage were noted by conservation groups including Wetlands International.

Aftermath, recovery, and reconstruction

Recovery involved restoration of power by entities such as the State Electricity Distribution Company of West Bengal and rebuilding of embankments under schemes administered by the National Disaster Management Authority and state planning departments. Reconstruction efforts prioritized resilient housing promoted by programs linked to the National Disaster Management Plan and development financing via the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Environmental rehabilitation initiatives engaged stakeholders including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and local universities such as the University of Calcutta and Bangladesh Agricultural University to restore mangroves and research adaptive coastal defenses. Political leaders including representatives from the Trinamool Congress, the Bangladesh Awami League, and national cabinets announced relief measures and committee inquiries into preparedness. Long-term resilience strategies were incorporated into regional planning by entities such as the United Nations Development Programme and think tanks including the Observer Research Foundation to address future cyclone risks in the Bay of Bengal basin.

Category:2020 in India Category:2020 in Bangladesh Category:Tropical cyclones in India Category:Tropical cyclones in Bangladesh