Satellite images following Cyclone Mocha show stunning scope of vast devastation
The striking photos were taken on Monday above Sittwe, the area where Cyclone Mocha made landfall, and were compared to those that were taken on Feb. 17. Monday's images show significant damage to buildings and infrastructure caused by the powerful storm.
Satellite imagery shows devastation in Myanmar in aftermath of Cyclone Mocha
Satellite imagery released by Maxar on Monday, May 15, shows utter devastation in Sittwe, Myanmar, after a deadly cyclone made landfall the previous day.
SITTWE, Myanmar – Satellite images released by Maxar are providing a new look at the scope of catastrophic damage left in the wake of Cyclone Mocha, which slammed into Myanmar on Sunday as one of the most powerful cyclones to ever hit the country.
The striking photos were taken on Monday above Sittwe, the area where Cyclone Mocha made landfall, and were compared to those that were taken on Feb. 17. Monday's images show significant damage to buildings and infrastructure caused by the powerful storm.
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Satellite images released by Maxar are providing a new look at the scope of catastrophic damage left in the wake of Cyclone Mocha, which slammed into Myanmar on Sunday, May 14, as one of the most powerful cyclones to ever hit the country.
(Maxar via Storyful)
Cyclone Mocha was packing winds of 175 mph as it spun toward the coast of Myanmar on Sunday. Those wind speeds are the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
More than 100,000 people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state were told to flee ahead of the monster storm, with many seeking shelter in monasteries, schools and religious sites, as others were told to get to higher ground to escape the onslaught of water rushing inland in addition to the torrential rainfall, according to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Satellite images show collapsed structures caused by Cyclone Mocha's powerful winds.
(Maxar via Storyful)
Those who didn't leave were forced to the higher floors of buildings and onto roofs to escape the water rushing inland due to the storm surge.
The image above shows the scope of devastation from Cyclone Mocha's winds and flooding.
The before image shows buildings and religious sites surrounded by blue water and white beaches. After Cyclone Mocha, the buildings appeared to be destroyed. The white sand is littered with debris, and the water is no longer clear.
Roofs are seen completely ripped away from buildings after Cyclone Mocha tore across Myanmar.
(Maxar via Storyful)
Another set of before and after satellite images shows the bright blue roofs of buildings and trees lining streets in the surrounding community. Most of the roofs were blown away, and only the foundations of many buildings remained after the storm.
The cataclysmic winds from Cyclone Mocha also crumpled cell phone towers and destroyed electrical transformers, effectively cutting off communications to a large swath of the country.
At least six deaths have been reported, but fears are growing that the death toll could rise significantly as communication is slowly restored and more information is received.