Causes

Effects

• Most of Bangladesh is only 15 metres above sea level and is therefore prone to flooding
• Tropical storms tend to head towards Bangladesh allowing large amounts of water to fall
• Intense heat from the sun heats the ground forcing air to rise rapidly
• Air rises and cools rapidly causing intense periods of heavy rain.
• Moist cold air is sucked in from the Indian ocean to replace the rising warm air
• Himalayas stop the movement of the rain. The rest of the rain falls on the mountains.
• Air pressure is reduced during tropical storm causing water level to rise as the air no longer pushes down on the sea
• Storm hit at high tide so the water level was already high
• Strong winds pushed water onto land which created a devastating storm surge

• 140,000 people died in one night
• In some villages near the coast, 1 in 3 people died as whole families were washed away
• The tidal surge of 7 metres was too high for the embankments to cope with
• People flocked to storm shelters, those who didn't make it were swept away
• People and animals killed. Bodies were left uncovered and spread disease
• Water contaminated by sewerage and dead bodies. As a result, disease spread killing more people
• Crops destroyed by flood water leading to food shortage and starvation
• Homes destroyed. As a result people were left homeless