Severe Cyclonic Storm Mora was a moderate but deadly tropical cyclone that caused widespread devastation and severe flooding in Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Northeast India in May 2017. The second named storm of the 2017 annual cyclone season, Mora developed from an area of low pressure over the southeastern Bay of Bengal on May 28. Mora reached peak strength with maximum sustained winds of . The cyclone made landfall near Chittagong on the morning of May 30 and steadily weakened, dissipating early in the morning on May 31. Across its path, Mora dropped a large amount of rain, including 225mm of rainfall in Chittagong and northeast India. The storm is estimated to have caused damages nearing US$300 million.
The name Mora, suggested by Thailand, means agate.
Meteorological history
In late May 2017, an area of convection began to organize in the Bay of Bengal. Favorable conditions, characterized by low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures, allowed for the development of rainbands and the beginnings of circulation on May 27. That same day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that there was a high likelihood that the low-pressure area would organize into a tropical depression. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center also issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on May 27, citing the persistent thunderstorm activity and the consolidating center of circulation. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified the disturbance as a tropical cyclone when the storm continued to intensify. The storm's motion was influenced primarily by a nearby subtropical ridge, forcing the system to take a north-northeasterly track.
Cloud tops over southeastern Bangladesh exceeded 15.3 km (9.5 miles), and over the Bay of Bengal cloud tops reached almost 16 km (9.9 miles). Shortly before landfall, the storm reached its peak intensity as a severe cyclonic storm with winds of and a minimum central pressure of 978 hPa (mbar). The JTWC noted that the storm reached category 1 hurricane strength with winds of . Animated enhanced infrared satellite imagery depicted improved consolidation with an eye feature on the morning of May 30.
Preparations
Bangladesh
With Mora's relatively rapid intensification, Bangladeshi authorities were hard pressed to carry out evacuations in preparation for the storm. Maritime weather alerts were issued for the Bangladeshi ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra, under the anticipation of a storm surge. All flights out of Shah Amanat International Airport were cancelled. Authorities attempted to evacuate 1 million people prior to landfall, however by May 29, only 300,000 had done so. Red Crescent volunteers and medical units were on alert as government offices in coastal zones closed. A meteorological office issued a warning for Chittagong and Cox's Bazar as the cyclonic storm Mora headed towards Bangladesh.
East and Northeast India
The India Meteorological Department issued Tropical cyclone warnings and watches for the Indian states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, West Bengal and Tripura. The Mizoram government expected that the cyclone could cause landslides and floods, so warnings were issued which advised residents to take precautions and preventive measures. The Indian Navy's Eastern fleet had was put on high alert to extend aid into Bangladesh.
Myanmar
The Myanmar Red Cross Society placed alerts in Chin, Rakhine, Magway, and Sagaing, and activated emergency response teams. Early warning messages were sent to at risk communities, and volunteers were ready to respond and provide aid supplies. Emergency response teams, as well as emergency volunteers from the community also assisted in the evacuation of those affected. The MRCS Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was initiated on May 29, following the Standard Operating Procedures for MRCS disaster response. On May 30, the Emergency Task Force had its first meeting to plan for the response.
Impact
Bangladesh
A total of 500,000 people managed to move out of coastal areas before the storm made landfall on May 31. Strong winds and storm surge battered buildings and destroyed farmlands across Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, and Rangamati. At least 20,000 houses were damaged in refugee camps for Rohingya Muslims, who were displaced by conflict in neighboring Myanmar. As of May 31, 2017, nine people were reported to be killed across Bangladesh. In addition, 81 Bangladeshi fishermen were reported to be missing after the storm.