Cyclones ‘Tauktae’ and ‘Yaas’ among 15 most destructive climate disasters of 2021

Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ (India and Sri Lanka, May 14-19) followed not too long after by cyclone Yaas (India and Bangladesh, May 25-29) are fourth and fifth on a list of 15 of the most destructive climate disasters that hit the world during 2021, and prepared by a London-based relief and development agency.

Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC) quoted relief and development agency Christian Aid as saying that 10 of these events had cost $1.5 billion or more. These estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the actual financial costs are likely to be even higher.

Four of the worst 10 in Asia

Four of the ten most costly events occurred place in Asia, with floods and typhoons costing a combined $24 billion. But the impact of extreme weather was felt worldwide, the report said.

Insurer Aon warns that 2021 could be the sixth time global natural catastrophes have crossed the $100 billion thresholds an insured loss. All six have happened since 2011; 2021 will be the fourth in five years.

A detailed account of climate disasters said that cyclone ‘Tauktae’ formed in the Arabian Sea during the pre-monsoon month of May and moved towards the West Coast of India while grazing the Maldives and Sri Lanka. It was the strongest cyclone to make landfall in Gujarat since 1999.

The rapid-fire ‘Taukte’

Intense winds, rainfall and flooding, left widespread damage totalling more than $1.5 billion and took 198 lives, including from a barge owned by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation that sank off the coast of Mumbai.

In Gujarat, more than two lakh people had to be evacuated from their homes. Tauktae underwent rapid intensification in which cyclones gain wind speed and strength relatively short, making it harder to prepare for landfall, which is becoming more frequent due to climate change.

Hot on ‘Tauktae’ trail

Cyclone Yaas formed in the Bay of Bengal and moved towards Bangladesh and India, forcing thousands to leave their homes and killing 19. In addition to the heavy rainfall, Yaas caused a strong storm surge destroying embankments and inundating low-lying areas in West Bengal.

Wind speeds are estimated to have reached 140 km/h. Economic losses were assessed at around $3 billion, almost double those due to Tauktae. More than 1.2 million people living in low-lying areas have had to leave their homes. In neighbouring Odisha, more than 10,000 villages were damaged.

Cyclone intensity on the up

The intensity of cyclones hitting the countries around the North Indian Ocean has been increasing over the last decades. As the planet becomes warmer due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, the atmosphere can hold more water, driving extreme rainfall during cyclones and leading to floods.

In addition, global sea levels have already increased about 21-24cm since pre-industrial times. As the sea level rises, the distance that storm surges can reach.

Vulnerable Bay of Bengal rim

Geographical situation and socio-economic conditions make the littoral states of the Bay of Bengal among the most vulnerable regions to climate change. They are densely populated, and conditions in the Bay are ideal for cyclone formation and lowlands prone to flooding and saltwater intrusion.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Ida that struck the US in August cost $65 billion and killed 95. July floods in Europe cost $43 billion and killed 240, while floods in China’s Henan province caused $17.5 billion of destruction, killed 320 and displaced over a million.

Parana River drought

South Sudan has experienced terrible floods, which has seen more than 8.5 lakh people forced to flee their homes, many already internally displaced, while East Africa continues to be ravaged with drought, highlighting the injustice of the climate crisis.

Some of the disasters, hit rapidly but other events took months to unfold, like the Parana River drought in Latin America, which has seen the river, a vital part of the region’s economy, at its lowest level in 77 years and impacted lives and livelihoods in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

Australia, Canada hit

Australia suffered floods in March, which displaced 18,000 people and saw damage worth $2.1 billion while floods in Canada’s British Colombia led to $7.5 billion in damage and 15,000 people having had to flee their homes.

Insurance and financial loss data on the recent tornadoes in the US is incomplete, so it is not included in this report. Worryingly, such climate devastation is set to continue without cutting emissions.