Split trees, washed away bridges, dead livestock—this was the scene following Super Cyclone Amphan, which tore through India’s West Bengal region and Bangladesh. From May 16 to May 21, the Category 5 hurricane whipped through coastal villages, ravaging areas with fierce winds and rain. 

 One of the most powerful storms ever recorded in South Asia, Super Cyclone Amphan devastated coastal infrastructure, causing millions of people to flee from their homes to packed shelters. These cement block structures and repurposed community spaces have proven safe in past storms, offering respite and relief to displaced villagers. As Amphan gained momentum, officials urged people to leave their homes. Emergency crews lined the beaches, alerting passersby through megaphones. Television stations, text messages and door-to-door pleas also advised evacuation. 

Crowded shelters pose a public health threat in the coronavirus pandemic. Physical distancing is unfeasible in the packed, enclosed spaces. Extra isolation rooms, masks, and sanitizers have done little to mitigate the rapidly spreading virus, while the need for social distancing has complicated Amphan relief efforts and shelter capacities. "The coronavirus restrictions have obviously made things much more difficult, especially with regards to evacuation to cyclone shelters," said Azmat Ulla, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ office in Bangladesh. On May 20, India reported that it had recorded over 100,000 coronavirus infections. 

Refugee camps, held in predominantly flood-prone areas, raised concerns during the cyclone. In Bangladesh, 306 Rohingya were moved from their refugee camp in Bhasan Char, an island in the Bay of Bengal, to mainland cyclone centres. A few years ago, these refugees fled massacres in Myanmar and built makeshift homes on coastal Bangladesh’s muddy hillsides. Amnesty International advised governments to protect Rohingya refugees stranded at sea. “They are in rickety boats; these are fishing trawlers that they use to take a very dangerous route in the hope of a better life. The Bangladesh government and others must do everything to save their lives,” declared Saad Hammadi, Amnesty International’s South Asia campaigner. Fortunately, the cyclone weakened as it made its way down the Bangladeshi coast, unleashing nothing more than heavy rains in the refugee-concentrated city of Cox’s Bazar. The U.N. estimates that, throughout Bangladesh, 10 million people were affected by the storm, and 50,000 people lost their homes. Economic production has been compromised at the region’s croplands and fisheries, striking away people’s long-term livelihoods. 

The storm devastated the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and the home to endangered Bengal tigers. According to Belinda Wright, the Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, villages on the outskirts of the wildlife refuge have been badly hit. Around 70% of the 4,000-square-mile forest lies at sea level, rendering the animals especially vulnerable to flooding and exacerbating India’s existing wildlife crisis. Urbanization, hunting and illegal animal trade have dwindled the global population of tigers down from 100,000 last century to 4,000 today. In response to the storm, the remaining few hundred Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans have been pushed out of their forest habitats and into human-dominated areas. 

Scientists predict that tropical storms like Amphan will increase in strength and quantity going forward due to climate change.