1964 Rameswaram cyclone

Tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean September 2026 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone.png Satellite image of the cyclone on 21 December 18 December 1964 26 December 1964 130 970 ≤ 140 1964 ≤1,800 150000000 Ceylon, India 1964 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 1964 Rameswaram cyclone (also known as the Dhanushkodi cyclone) was regarded as one of the most powerful storms on record to ever strike India.International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics A. D. Rao S. K. Dube P. Chittibabu 1994 Finite Difference Techniques Applied to the Simulation of Surges and Currents Around Sri Lanka and Southern Indian Peninsula 71–77 10.1080/10618569408904500 3 1 1994IJCFD...3...71R The system was first identified as an area of low pressure over the Andaman Sea on 15 December. Following interaction with a tropical wave, it began to develop and became a depression by 18 December. Increasingly rapid intensification ensued over the following days with the cyclone attaining hurricane-force winds around 5°N the next day. Early on 23 December, the storm struck Ceylon near Trincomalee with winds estimated at 240 km/h mph on 5, ranking it as a modern-day super cyclonic storm. Weakening somewhat, the storm soon struck Madras (current Tamil Nadu). Rapid weakening followed once the cyclone was onshore and it degenerated into a depression on 24 December as it emerged over the Arabian Sea. The system later dissipated on 26 December over open water. Meteorological history 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone track.png On 15 December 1964, an area of low pressure was identified over the southern Andaman Sea. Remaining nearly stationary, a tropical wave soon interacted with the low and allowed the system to consolidate into a depression two days later.Journal of Applied Meteorology Shashi M. Kulshrestha Madan G. Gupta Indian Meteorological Service June 1966 Satellite Study of the Rameswaram Cyclonic Storm of 20–23 December 1964 373–376 5 3 10.1175/1520-0450(1966)005<0373:SSOTRC>2.0.CO;2 1966JApMe...5..373K free A large area of showers and thunderstorms covered much of the southern Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. On 18 December, a ship with the callsign JMAG reported 45 km/h mph on 5 winds and a barometric pressure of 1005.5 mbar (hPa; 1005.5 mbar inHg on on 4 out). Based on this report, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified the system as a deep depression. Over the following days, the system quickly intensified as it began moving slowly westward. By 19 December, it became a severe cyclonic storm and soon acquired hurricane-force winds early on 20 December while near 5°N. The cyclone became one of only a handful of systems to attain such an intensity close to the equator. Moving more west-northwesterly, the cyclone continued to deepen as it approached southern India. On 21 December, satellite imagery showed clouds from the storm covering an area roughly 965 km mi on wide. Several prominent banding features were present, with one such feature, extending over 240 km mi on crossing the equator while maintaining a cyclonic arc. Clouds associated with the cyclone extended as far as 485 km mi on into the Southern Hemisphere. Several vessels encountered the storm, with one reporting 110 km/h mph on 5 winds early on 22 December. That day winds along the coast of Ceylon increased; the storm accelerated during this time as well. Early on 23 December, the cyclone struck the northern tip of Ceylon and turned back toward the west-northwest. According to an officer on Pamban Island, located between Ceylon and Southern India, the storm's eye was no more than 16 km mi on wide. Based on satellite imagery, it was estimated that the storm had peak winds of 240 km/h mph on 5, with gusts as high as 280 km/h mph on 5. This ranked the system as a modern-day super cyclonic storm.Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery September 2011 12 May 2013 Cyclones, storm surges, floods, landslides 9 https://www.gfdrr.org/gfdrr/sites/gfdrr.org/files/1_Introduction.pdf PDF dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120426055441/https://www.gfdrr.org/gfdrr/sites/gfdrr.org/files/1_Introduction.pdf 26 April 2012 Additionally, the IMD estimated its central pressure to have been, at most, 970 mbar (hPa; 970 mbar inHg on 4 out). The lowest observed pressure was 978 mbar hPa inHg on in Mannar on the west coast of Ceylon. Weakening somewhat, the storm soon struck Madras, south of Tondi. Once onshore, the cyclone rapidly weakened, becoming a depression before emerging over the Arabian Sea on 24 December. The system degenerated into a remnant low later that day and dissipated over open waters on 26 December.India Weather Review India Meteorological Department 1964 12 May 2013 Annual Summary — Storms & Depressions: Severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cd024_pdf/005ED275.pdf PDF 30–34 Impact At least 1,800 people lost their lives as a result of the cyclone.Ceylon-India death toll now 1,800 The Milwaukee Sentinel https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4HFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yhAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5641,4366552 https://archive.today/20120718062937/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4HFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yhAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5641,4366552 dead 18 July 2012 28 December 1964At least 1,800 dead in India-Ceylon storm Chicago Tribune 28 December 19641,800 Asians feared dead after cyclone and tidal wave Reading Eagle 28 December 1964 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XYgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dpwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4836,6829745 On 22 December, the powerful cyclone struck northern areas of Ceylon and caused catastrophic damage. According to survivors, a storm surge of 4.5 m ft on swept across the area. Initial reports stated that 250 people lost their lives with thousands missing. About 5000 houses and 700 fishing boats were destroyed in the Jaffna district of Ceylon.Ships, planes search for survivors The Age https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-xkTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rZYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6560,4311447&hl=en 28 December 1964 Colombo The district's paddy crop was also destroyed. Other badly hit areas include Mannar and Trincomalee. The Trincomalee port suffered severe damage rendering it inoperable. The economic damage caused in Ceylon was estimated at Rs. 200 million. About 350 Ceylonese fishermen were missing at sea. At least 1,000 people were killed on the island and many more were left unaccounted for. An unofficial estimate stated that the death toll would likely exceed 2,000. The government regarded it as, "the greatest tragedy to ever hit Ceylon."The Lincoln Star 28 December 1964 United Press International Cyclone, Tidal Wave Kill 1,800 Fishermen New Delhi, India 18 thumb|Remains of a church in Dhanushkodi in 2007 The effects of the cyclone were felt mostly on Pamban Island, which lies between the Indian mainland and Ceylon. More than 3000 people, many of them tourists and pilgrims, were stranded on the island. The total damage to property was estimated at $150 million. On 23 December, an estimated 7.6 m ft on storm surge struck the town of Dhanuskodi on the south-eastern edge of the island, submerging the town and overturning the Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train killing all 200 passengers on board.Memory of the disaster still lingers C. Jaishankar http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/24/stories/2005122405580500.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070105131113/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/24/stories/2005122405580500.htm dead 5 January 2007 The Hindu 24 December 2005 The town, an important transit point between India and Ceylon, was completely destroyed and has not been rebuilt since.Land's end Prasanna Srinivasan http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/03/06/stories/2004030600010100.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20041014051457/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/03/06/stories/2004030600010100.htm dead 14 October 2004 The Hindu 3 June 2004 This has caused the permanent closure of both the Dhanushkodi railway station and the Pamban–Dhanushkodi railway line. Prior to the cyclone, the town had been an important commercial centre with a railway station, a customs office, post and telegraphs office, two medical institutions, one railway hospital, a panchayat union dispensary, a higher elementary school and port offices.Shattered in 1964, still remains so http://hindu.com/2002/06/15/stories/2002061503750500.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20140521154005/http://hindu.com/2002/06/15/stories/2002061503750500.htm dead 21 May 2014 The Hindu 15 June 2002 A port had been functioning since 1 March 1914.However, the port of Dhanushkodi was also permanently closed due to the cyclone. At least 800 people were killed in Dhanushkodi alone. thumb|The ruins of Dhanushkodi Railway Station Four radio operators remained in Dhanuskodi and risked their lives to continue broadcasting during the storm. Two railway employees patrolling the Pamban Bridge survived by clinging to the bridge frame for 12 hours. The Indian Government later honoured and rewarded them for their dedication.R. Sujatha The Hindu 24 January 2012 21 May 2014 When nature took over... https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/When-nature-took-over.../article13379223.ece Aftermath The scale of the disaster left villages isolated for at least three days and without food or clean water. Communication lines were severely damaged and hampered relief efforts. By 26 December, relief supplies were delivered to 14 villages by the Ceylonese Air Force. Britain, Cuba, West Germany, and the United States offered aid to Ceylon.Deseret News 26 December 1964 21 May 2014 Ceylon Cyclone: Thousands Homeless 1 Associated Press New Delhi, India https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WMtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5X8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4703%2C6379092 Reconstruction of the Pamban Bridge was deemed a priority and initially expected to take six months to complete. However, E. Sreedharan, an engineer tasked on the project, managed to have the railway bridge finished in 45 days. A stable road connection was built in the following years. In Mandapam, the cyclone's surge created five tidal pools over a 2 km mi on stretch of coastline. Three of the pools had higher than normal salinity coupled with below-average silicate content and were colonized by Peridinium. The other two featured opposite levels of salinity and silicate and were inhabited by Pyrocystis fusiformis. All five featured bioluminescence as a result. A study of these pools in 1965 showed a, "clear succession of organisms", with species of Penaeidae (Prawn), one species of amphipoda, one species of crab, and Acetes inhabiting the pools. Researchers also found a few Sepioteuthis and tintinnid. Lastly, 46 species of coastal fish were documented.Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India P. V. Ramachandran Nair G. Luther Clement Adolph 1965 21 May 2014 420–439 An ecological study of some pools near Mandapam (South India) formed as a result of the cyclone and tidal wave of 1964 7 2 http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/1858/1/Nair_420-439.pdf PDF Offshore, catastrophic damage occurred to coral reefs, with Echinopora lamellosa, Montipora foliosa, and alcyonarians being killed in large numbers. At Manacadu Point, near Mandapam, an elevated coral colony of Faviids and Porites was completely wiped out. In the eight years following the storm, colonies showed substantial growth across the Palk Strait, with Acropora corymbosa covering 25–30% of the reefs. Colonies of alcyonarians showed little sign of rejuvenation, however. Along the immediate coastline, the large-scale stirring of sand made areas unsuitable for coral and were not expected to ever regrow.Seafood Export Journal 7 12 1975 21 May 2014 An assessment of the effects of environment and human interference on the coral reefs of Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar along the Indian Coast 9–21 C. S. Hopinadha Pillai http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/7109/1/173-SEAFOOD_EXPORT_JOURNAL_1975.pdf PDF References 30em Category:1964 in India Category:1964 in Ceylon Category:Tropical cyclones in India Category:Tropical cyclones in Sri Lanka Category:1960s in Tamil Nadu Category:Disasters in Tamil Nadu Category:Super cyclonic storms Category:1964 North Indian Ocean cyclone season