PREDICTION OF STORM SURGES IN THE BAY OF BENGAL

The destruction due to storm surge flooding is a serious concern along the coastal regions of the countries around the Bay of Bengal. About 300,000 lives were lost in one of the most severe cyclones that hit Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in November 1970. More recently the Nargis cyclone of May 2008 killed about 140,000 people in Myanmar as well as caused enormous property damage. Thus, provision of precise prediction and warning of storm surges is of great interest in the region. The main objective of the present paper is to highlight the recent developments in storm surge prediction in the Bay of Bengal and also the future plan to enhance storm surge forecasting capability the region.