Strongest Cyclone of the New Millennium in the Bay of Bengal: Strategy of RVS for Nonengineered Structures

Abstract

Coastal areas of the Indian subcontinent are familiar with aftermaths of severe tropical cyclones. Nonengineered structures of the common people are major casualties of these natural disasters. The present paper documents features of damages due to the 2007 Cyclone Sidr, the strongest cyclone in the Bay of Bengal portion of the Indian Ocean in the new millennium. A critical analysis of the documented damages is followed by suggestions regarding the adoption of relevant remedial measures during future constructions in the coastal regions compatible with the socioeconomic situation. In the absence of any rapid visual screening (RVS) procedure for cyclones, the paper further discusses strategies for evolving RVS procedures for cyclone-affected nonengineered structures as part of a quick and easy vulnerability assessment. The application of the proposed RVS methodology, consisting of 11 visually identifiable parameters and basic scores for eight different types of nonengineered or semiengineered buildings, is cross-checked for two cases whose RVS scores strongly match those of the proposal.