Cyclone Amphan Destroys Thousands Of Homes As It Lashes India, Bangladesh

TOPLINE

The devastation from Cyclone Amphan has claimed more than 80 lives, in addition to destroying thousands of homes, as it slammed into coastal towns and cities in India and Bangladesh, but is expected to weaken over the next 24 hours as it travels northeast.

KEY FACTS

Watch:

Water cascading down the stairs of a residential building in Kolkata

Amphan leaves Kolkata airport flooded, structures damaged

Electric outage in Phool Bagan, Kolkata

Critical quote: 

“At one end there is this small Covid virus that is terrifying people,” West Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, said in a video conference. “This was another virus from the sky.”

Key Background:

The cyclone’s outer wall reached land over eastern India at approximately 2:30 pm local time Wednesday, producing winds as high as 165 miles per hour and waves surging up to 16 feet. Fortunately, it weakened into the equivalent of an Atlantic tropical storm as it crossed the border between West Bengal and Bangladesh Thursday morning. Nonetheless, strong winds of up to 68 mph uprooted trees and wiped out homes the storm’s torrential rains drenched low-lying areas. The system is expected to continue weakening over the next 24 hours as it travels northeast.

Further Reading:

Cyclone Amphan’s Death Toll Rises to 80 in India and Bangladesh (New York Times
NYT) 

More than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areas (CNN)

Cyclone Amphan Slams Into India And Bangladesh As Millions Attempt To Escape (Forbes)