Tamil Nadu Data
Frequency distribution of the cyclones over the coastal
districts of Tamil Nadu 1891-1995
|
District |
Number of Cyclones |
|
Chengalpattu including Chennai |
21 |
|
S.Arcot including Pondicherry |
13 |
|
Thanjavur including Pudukottai |
14 |
|
Ramanathapuram |
6 |
|
Tirunelveli |
3 |
|
Kanyakumari |
4 |
|
Total |
61 |
The month wise frequency of cyclonic storms that crossed
the Tamil Nadu coast during the period 1891 – 2000
CS – Cyclonic Storm SCS – Severe Cyclonic Storm
|
Month |
Frequency CS |
Frequency SCS |
% of SCS out of total
cyclone |
|
January |
3 |
1 |
33 |
|
February |
1 |
1 |
100 |
|
March |
1 |
- |
0 |
|
April |
2 |
1 |
50 |
|
May |
3 |
1 |
33 |
|
June |
- |
- |
- |
|
July |
- |
- |
- |
|
August |
- |
- |
- |
|
September |
- |
- |
- |
|
October |
6 |
2 |
33 |
|
November |
34 |
22 |
64 |
|
December |
14 |
8 |
57 |
|
Annual |
64 |
36 |
55 |
(Ref:
N.Jeyanthi, “Cyclone Disaster Risk in Coastal Region”, in ‘Cyclone Disaster
Management’ National Interactive Workshop held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University, February 25-26, 2002. p.51-54).
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Location and impact of some
severe cyclones that affected Indian coasts during the last 25 years.
|
Period |
Location |
Impact/Damage |
|
19 Nov. 1977 . |
Divi, Krishna River delta, A.P |
10,000
lives lost; standing crops washed away; persistent flooding even 11 days
after the cyclone struck. |
|
27–29 May 1989 |
24 Parganas/Medinipur, W.B. |
485
lives lost; 2,02,468 houses damaged; standing crops
washed
away; 239 km of protective works destroyed; dune barrier breached. |
|
4–10 May 1990 |
Machilipatnam, mouth of River Krishna,A.P |
967 deaths; 6,00,000 houses destroyed;
21,600 cattle, 3
5,00,000 poultry, 42,700 goats perished, damage to agriculture. |
|
11–17
Nov. 1992 |
Tuticorin,
T.N. |
170
killed; 160 missing; 1 to 2 m storm surge at Tuticorin. |
|
1–4
Dec. 1993 |
Near
Karaikal, T.N. |
111
killed; 1 to 1.5 m storm surge. |
|
29–31 Oct. 1994 |
Chennai and around, T.N. |
304
killed; 1 to 2 m storm surge; 1,00,000 huts destroyed; 60,000 hectares of crops damaged. |
|
7–10
Nov. 1995 |
Gopalpur,
Orissa |
96
killed; 1.5 m surge; 2,84,253 hectares of crops damaged. |
|
5–7 Nov. 1996 |
Kakinada, A.P. |
978
killed; 2 to 3 m surge; 1375 missing; 6,47,554 houses damaged; 1,74,000 hectares of crops
damaged. |
|
22–24 August 1997 |
Digha–Haldia, West Bengal |
400
fishermen missing; 1,60,400 people homeless; coastal hotels inundated; 40
trawlers drowned; 10,000 houses destroyed; over 600 m of seawalls and
embankments devastated; prawn hatcheries swept away; harbors paralyzed. |
|
29–31
Oct. 1999 |
Balasore/Paradip, Orissa Super
Cyclone |
7–9 m
surge; inundations up to 35 km from coast; 9885 persons died; 2142 people
injured; 12 lakh houses damaged; over
2 lakh cattle killed; 13 lakh hectares of crops affected; port activity paralyzed. |
Location, maximum wind speed,
observed height of associated storm surges and actual inland penetration of sea
water during some severe tropical cyclonic events that affected the east coast
of India. (Antonio Mescarenhas, ‘Oceanographic
validity of buffer zones for the East Coast of India: A hydrometeorological
perspective’ in Curr. Sci., Vol.86, No.3, 10 February 2004, p-400)
|
Period |
Coast affected |
Max.
wind speed (km/h) |
Max.surge
height (m) |
Hinterland inundation (km) |
|
October 1737 |
Hoogly river, W.B |
272 |
12.1 |
100 |
|
May 1823 |
Balasore, Orissa |
– |
– |
10 |
|
November 1867 |
East of Calcutta, W.B |
60 |
1.8 |
– |
|
October 1942 |
Medinipur, West Bengal |
– |
5.0 |
40 |
|
October 1949 |
Masulipatnam–Kakinada, A.P. |
137 |
4.5 |
15 |
|
November 1952 |
Nagapatnam, T.N |
88 |
1.2 |
8 |
|
October 1955 |
Kalingapatnam, A.P. |
111 |
1.5 |
– |
|
November 1955 |
Rajamadam, T.N. |
193 |
4.5 |
16 |
|
December 1955 |
Tanjore, T.N |
200 |
5.0 |
3–8 |
|
October 1963 |
Cuddalore, T.N. |
139 |
6.0 |
– |
|
December 1964 |
Rameshwaram, T.N |
278 |
6.0 |
– |
|
October 1971 |
Paradip, Orissa |
170 |
6.0 |
10–25 |
|
November 1973 |
North of Paradip, Orissa |
137 |
4.5 |
– |
|
August 1974 |
Contai, West Bengal |
139 |
3.0 |
– |
|
September 1976 |
Contai, West Bengal |
160 |
3.0 |
– |
|
November 1977 |
Nizampatnam, A.P. |
193 |
5.0 |
8–15 |
|
November 1977 |
Divi–Machilipatnam, A.P. |
120 |
5.0 |
12 |
|
November 1978 |
Ramanathpuram, A.P. |
204 |
5.0 |
– |
|
May 1979 |
South of Ongole, A.P. |
160 |
3.6 |
– |
|
November 1989 |
Near Kavali, southern A.P. |
222 |
4.0 |
1–2 |
|
May 1990 |
Nellore, A.P. |
102 |
5.0 |
16 |
|
November 1991 |
Karaikal, T.N. |
89 |
– |
< 1 |
|
November 1992 |
Tuticorin, T.N. |
113 |
1.0 |
– |
|
December 1993 |
Karaikal, T.N. |
133 |
4.0 |
2 |
|
October 1999 |
Paradip/Balasore, Orissa |
252 |
9.0 |
35 |
(Antonio
Mescarenhas, ‘Oceanographic validity of buffer zones for the East Coast of
India: A hydrometeorological perspective’ in Curr. Sci., Vol.86, No.3, 10
February 2004, p-400 -401)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Details
of various types of wind systems that formed in the Bay of Bengal and affected
the east coast of India during the period 1891–2000. (Antonio Mescarenhas,
‘Oceanographic validity of buffer zones for the East Coast of India: A
hydrometeorological perspective’ in Curr. Sci., Vol.86, No.3, 10 February 2004,
p-400)
|
Type of disturbance |
Cyclonic disturbance |
Depression/deep depression |
Cyclonic storm |
Severe cyclonic storm |
|
Number |
1087 |
635 |
279 |
173 |
|
Maximum (1891–1991) |
158 (Aug.) |
131 (Aug.) |
51 (Oct.) |
38 (Nov.) |
|
Minimum (1891–1991) |
4 (Feb.) |
1 (Mar.) |
0 (Feb.) |
1 (Jan.) |
|
Yearly average |
10 |
6 |
3 |
1.5 |
|
Per cent of total |
– |
58 |
26 |
16 |
|
Wind speed (km/h) |
31–118 |
31–61 |
61–88 |
88–118 |