National Report on Disaster Risk, Poverty and Human Development Relationship

3.7.4 Extreme Wind Events (Cyclone, Gale, Strong wind, Surge)

3.7.4.1 Distribution Annual Time Series Distribution Seasonal Distribution

The occurrence of wind events over the time period Seasonal distribution of wind events is illustrated in has been quite consistent and low (Figure 50). Figure 51 clearly showing a fluctuating pattern with However, a sudden increase can be seen in the latter two peaks in par with the rainfall patterns in the part of the period, with the highest number of events island. The incidence of wind events is high during taking place in 2007. April-June and again during November- December.

Figure 50 : 350 Annual

Time Series 300 Distribution of Extreme 250 Wind Events 200

150 Number of events 100

50

0 1982 1992 2002 1978 1988 1998 2008 1974 1976 1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006

source Year www.desinventar.lk

Figure 51 : 250 Seasonal Distribution of 200 Extreme Wind Events : 150 1974 -2008

of events 100 Number 50

0 y y July May April June March August ebruar Januar October F November December source September Month www.desinventar.lk

79 Chapter 03 Disaster Event and Impact Profile

Spatial Distribution majority of them have a low incidence of wind events

With respect to spatial distribution, wind events are with a very few numbers experiencing a high most prevalent in the districts of Rathnapura, Badulla incidence. For some divisions in districts of Mannar, and (Map 29). Districts Kilinochchi, and Mullativu, the low incidence such as Mannar, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullativu can be attributed to the limited availability of show a lower incidence of wind events due to limited desegregated data at the DS division level. data availability. With respect to DS divisions, a

Map 29 : Spatial Distribution of Extreme Wind Events : 1974 - 2008

source District DS Divisions www.desinventar.lk

3.7.4.2 Impacts Further, according to (Map 30) people located in the People Affected (Annual Time Series and district cluster of Anuradhapura, , Spatial Distribution) and are shown as most affected by wind events. With respect to DS From Figure 52 below, it may be said that in general divisions, in the divisions in the Eastern parts of the people in Sri Lanka have somewhat not been very island largest numbers of people have been much affected by wind events. However an affected. In divisions in the Northern areas the exception can be seen in the years 1978 and 2000, numbers affected are shown as very low because of during which extremely large numbers of people limited availability of desegregated data at the DS were affected due to the two very severe cyclone division level. events that occurred during these two years.

80 Sri Lanka National Report on Disaster Risk, Poverty and Human Development Relationship

Figure 52 : 1000000 People Affected 900000 Due to Extreme Wind Events – 800000 Annual Time Series 700000 Distribution

600000 affected

500000 people

400000 er of b

Num 300000

200000

100000

0 1982 1992 2002 1978 1988 1998 2008 source 1974 1976 1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006 www.desinventar.lk Year

Map 30 : People Affected Due to Extreme Wind Events – Spatial Distribution: 1974 -2008

source District DS Divisions www.desinventar.lk

81 Chapter 03 Disaster Event and Impact Profile

Loss of Life (Annual Time Series and Spatial appear to have occurred mostly in the district of Distribution) Batticaloa. The low incidence of deaths reflected in

As can be seen from Figure 53, the occurrence of the DS divisions (Map 31) may be attributed to the deaths due to wind events is quite low, except for the limited availability of desegregated data at the DS year 1978, where it has reached nearly 850. Further division level. considering the spatial distribution (Map 31), deaths

Figure 53 : 1000 Loss of Life 900 Due to Extreme 800 Wind Events – 700 Annual Time Series 600 Distribution 500

400 Number of deaths 300

200

100

0 1982 1992 2002 1978 1988 1998 2008 source 1974 1976 1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006 www.desinventar.lk Year

Map 31 : Loss of Life Due to Extreme Wind Events – Spatial Distribution : 1974 - 2008

source District DS Divisions www.desinventar.lk

82 Sri Lanka National Report on Disaster Risk, Poverty and Human Development Relationship

Destroyed and Damaged Houses (Annual Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Time Series and Spatial Distribution) Batticaloa appear to be most prone to wind events (see Map 32). With respect to DS divisions, those in Wind events have not caused much damage or the Eastern parts of the island have the largest destruction to houses (Figure 54) except for the large number of damage, while those in the Northern parts damage that can be seen in the years 1978 and 2000 reflect very low numbers because of unavailability of during which years very severe high wind events desegregated data at the DS division level in Mannar, occurred. Houses located in the districts of Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

Figure 54 : 90000 No of Houses 80000 Destroyed 70000

and Damaged and damaged 60000 d Due to Extreme e 50000 oy

Wind Events str 40000 e

– Annual Time d 30000 Series uses 20000 Distribution 10000 of ho

No 0 1982 1992 2002 1978 1988 1998 2008 source 1974 1976 1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006 www.desinventar.lk Year

Map 32 : No of Houses Destroyed and Damaged Due to Extreme Wind Events – Spatial Distribution: 1974 - 2008

source District DS Divisions www.desinventar.lk

83 Chapter 03 Disaster Event and Impact Profile

Losses to Agricultural Crops , Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee, while (Annual Time Series and Spatial Distribution) districts such as Matara, , , Vavuniya and Mannar have experienced very low crop losses. In Agricultural loss in hectares of crop damage due to terms of DS divisions, it is difficult to comment on the extreme wind events appears to be very low in some spatial distribution of losses to agricultural crops due years and high in others as can be seen from Figure to the unavailability of desegregated data at the level 55. Further, as seen in Map 33, most agricultural of DS Divisions loss have occurred in the districts of Moneragala,

12000 Figure 55 : Agricultural 10000 Loss Due to Extreme 8000 Wind Events(in Hectares) 6000 – Annual Time Series 4000 Distribution es of agricultural loss 2000 Hectar

0 1982 1992 2002 1978 1988 1998 2008 source 1974 1976 1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006 www.desinventar.lk Year

Map 33 : Agricultural Loss Due to Extreme Wind Events (in Hectares) – Spatial Distribution : (1974 - 2008)

source District DS Divisions www.desinventar.lk

84 Sri Lanka National Report on Disaster Risk, Poverty and Human Development Relationship

Box 10 : Wind events seem to be most prevalent in the latter Destroyed and damaged houses also cannot be Conclusions on years, with the largest occurring in the year 2007. seen very much due to wind events, the exception Distribution and Further, the wind events in Sri Lanka are most likely to this being the large damage in the year 1978 Impacts of to occur in the months of June and November. With and 2000 due to the two extremely severe events Extreme Wind respect to spatial distribution, wind events are in these two years. Further, houses located in the Events most prevalent in the districts of Rathnapura, districts of Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Badulla, Anuradhapura, and Colombo. Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa appear to have been

People in Sri Lanka have not been very much most affected due to wind events. affected by wind events. However, an exception to Agricultural crop loss also seems to be somewhat this is the years 1978 and 2000. Further, people low, with most losses taking place in 1989 and located in the districts of Anuradhapura, 2000. Further, most of the agricultural losses Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Batticaloa have appear to occur in the districts of Moneragala, been most affected by wind events. Ampara, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee.

The occurrence of deaths due to wind events is Some impacts reflected in terms of DS divisions quite low except for the year 1978, where it has have been somewhat low, which can be attributed reached nearly 850. Further, deaths appear to to the limited availability or unavailability of have occurred mostly in the district of Batticaloa. desegregated data at the level of DS Divisions.

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