Thousands of Ayeyarwady Region villagers evacuated ahead of Cyclone Mocha landfall

By Admin 11 May 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 May 2023, Labutta, Ayeyarwady Region

Some 10,000 villagers in Labutta Township, Ayeyarwady Region, have evacuated their homes following a Department of Meteorology and Hydrology warning about an impending storm currently gaining strength over the Bay of Bengal, according to local charities.

Thousands of the evacuees are residents of low-lying areas and coastal villages, and are currently taking shelter at monasteries, schools and religious buildings in downtown Labutta.

“Almost all ferryboat services and cargo ships halted operations. Some evacuees are taking refuge at monasteries and schools while some are heading to Myaungmya to seek shelter,” said an official from Heart Laputta, a local charity.

Thousands of rural people have left their homes since May 6, with some evacuees arriving in downtown Labutta as late as May 10.

“I arrived at downtown Labutta this morning. I felt a similar experience when Cyclone Nargis hit Ayeyarwady Region in 2008. My wife died and my leg was broken. I survived the 2008 storm. Ever since, when I hear the sound of a storm, I get very scared,” said Ko Aung Ko Latt, a resident of Wahkone Village in Labutta Township.

The evacuees are being fed with food by some donors and residents in downtown Labutta, but additional assistance is needed due to the large number of evacuees, according to relief workers.

“I fled to downtown Labutta because I experienced a tragedy in 2008 when Nargis swept through the Ayeyarwady Region. I lost some family members in 2008,” said Ma Khin Myo Sett, a local woman from Thabyaychaung Village in Labutta Township.

About 3,400 villagers from nine coastal villages in Arakan State’s Pauktaw and Myebon townships have also evacuated their homes in response to the impending storm.

According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology’s observations as of 12 noon on Thursday, the Cyclonic Storm “Mocha” was expected to make landfall along the Arakan State coast on May 14.

The DMH estimated that the storm’s maximum sustained winds could reach 80 to 100 miles per hour.

The department said if the storm makes landfall as expected, water levels may rise by 10 to 14 feet at river mouths and tributaries in Arakan State’s Sittwe and Maungdaw districts, and 7 to 10 feet at river mouths and tributaries in Kyaukphyu District.