Cyclone Bulbul

Ahead of Bulbul's landfall, Bangladeshi officials ordered 2.1 million people to evacuate coastal areas.[10] Due to the cyclone, all the JSC–JDC examinations of 9, 11 and 12 November and National University examination of 9 November were suspended.[11][12][13] Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority suspended all sorts of activities at three maritime ports and riverine transport services during the cyclone.[14] All flights to and from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, Barisal, Jashore domestic airports were cancelled for 14 hours owing to the inclement weather under the influence of the cyclone.[15] Health department officials in these districts formed 1,599 teams to attend to those affected by the cyclone. Around 56,000 volunteers were deployed to conduct rescue and relief efforts while the military bases at the coastal districts remain on alert.[16] All coastal infantries of the Bangladesh Army prepared to take immediate action to provide assistance during and post cyclonic destruction.[17] The Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Coast Guard prepared to undertake emergency rescue and relief operations with warships and vessels.[18]

Rajrajeshwar Char of Chandpur, Bangladesh affected by cyclone Bulbul

The cyclone caused severe damage across coastal Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of 25 people.[19] In the Khulna District, 9,455 homes were destroyed and 37,820 were damaged.[20] Across the Bagerhat District, 8,788 homes were destroyed and 35,779 were damaged.[19] The nation's agriculture industry was severely affected, with 289,006 hectares (714,150 acres) of farmland—roughly 14 percent of the nation's total farmland—was damaged. Approximately 72,000 metric tons of crops were lost, with a total value of Tk 2.63 billion (US$33 million).[21]

In Odisha, the cyclone's outer bands produced heavy rain and squalls, causing agricultural damage, uprooting trees, and knocking down power lines.[22] Although, as part of rescue, around 350 local villagers in the district of Balesore were taken to cyclone shelters as the storm neared.[23] An estimated 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres) of crops were damaged statewide.[24] Two people died in storm-related incidents.[25]

Bulbul's landfall in West Bengal around the Sunderban Dhanchi forest brought extremely heavy rain and winds up to 135 km/h (85 mph) across much of the southern portion of the state.[26] A 59-year-old man was killed after being electrocuted by a lamp post, and another was killed due to a collapsed wall. Before the cyclone even made landfall, however, a man was killed after a cedar tree branch fell on top of him.[27] Fallen trees caused road blockages across the city of Kolkata as well, and members of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) removed these blockages. Operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata were suspended for 12 hours.[28]

Throughout West Bengal, approximately 3.5 million people were directly affected by the cyclone; 14 people died in storm-related incidents. A total of 517,535 homes and 1,489,924 hectares (3,681,680 acres) of crops were damaged or destroyed, with losses reaching Rs 238.11 billion (US$3.34 billion).[29]

West Bengal's Public Health Engineering department distributed 435,000 tarpaulins and 620,000 water containers in the affected areas.[29]