The impact of Cyclone Mocha started to be felt along the coastline of Cox's Bazar on Sunday morning, particularly in Teknaf and St Martin's Island where strong winds began to blow, accompanied by rainfall.
The effects of Cyclone Mocha on Cox's Bazar coast also led to rising tides.
Cox's Bazar and different upazilas were experiencing drizzling rain and stormy wind.
Jasim Uddin Shobh, a businessman and resident of St Martin's Island, said strong gusty winds have been blowing since 10am, accompanied by rain.
Dhaka TribuneCox's Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Bibhishan Kanti Das said around 245,000 people have taken refuge in 636 shelters along the coast so far.
Furthermore, an additional 50,000-60,000 people have taken shelter in various hotels and relatives' homes, he said, adding that by midday, about 300,000 people are expected to take refuge in the 636 shelters along the coast.
The maritime port of Cox's Bazar was asked to hoist great danger signal No 10; thus, the Cox's Bazar administration is safely evacuating residents from the vulnerable coastal areas to the shelters, said Bibhishan Kanti Das.
The official said since Cyclone Mocha is expected to strike close to Teknaf and St Martin's Island, the highest preparations have been taken for the coral island.
Dhaka TribuneSo far, 3,000 residents of St Martin's have come to Teknaf for safe shelter. In addition, more than 4,500 people have taken shelter in the island's 37 hotels and resorts, he said.
The island has a population of 10,000.
Cox's Bazar Hotel, Motel and Guest House Owners Association has declared 66 hotels, motels and resorts shelters to provide safe refuge to the people of the coastal region, added Bibhishan Kanti Das.
Because of the initiative, at least 50,000 people will be able to take shelter, the association's president, Md Abul Kasem, said.
Aditto Akash, manager of Jalkabbo Resort on the island where some 40 locals took shelter on Saturday, said they were facing strong winds and rain after 11am.
He told Dhaka Tribune that many people went to resorts and two shelters of the government, but their cattle and street animals like dogs and cats might not survive due to the super storm.
Cox's Bazar Meteorologist Mohammad Abdur Rahman said the very severe cyclone Mocha is expected to hit the coast between 9am and 3pm on Sunday.
He further stated that since both sides of St Martin's Island are open and water can flow freely, the likelihood of any significant damage is low, as water will not accumulate in that area.
The weather office will provide continuous updates on Cyclone Mocha, he added.
Dhaka TribuneAround 3,000 locals and tourists had left the island till Friday but there were no ships or trawlers to ferry more people to Teknaf on Saturday.
Currently, there are 4,000-5,000 people staying on the island. Most of them took shelter in the two- and three-storey resorts and hotels as the houses of the locals are made of bamboo, wood and tin.
Several locals said the government could easily evacuate the remaining people from the island on navy or private ships.
Rohingya camps
There are 33 Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and adequate preparations have been made in these camps, said Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Shamsud Douza.
According to information from the district administration's control room, around 8,600 volunteers from the cyclone preparedness program (CPP) and 2,200 volunteers from the Red Crescent Society are prepared to give cyclone assistance.
A total of 37 government establishments, including the offices of the navy, coast guard and police, have been prepared as cyclone shelters.
For emergency situations, Tk25 lakh has been allocated, of which Tk10 lakh has been dispatched to different upazilas.
In addition, 5.90 tons of rice, 3.5 tons of toast biscuits, 3.4 tons of dry cake, 194 bundles of tarpaulin, 20,000 packets of oral rehydration solution (ORS) saline, and 40,000 water purification tablets have been stocked.
In total, 636 shelters have been prepared, with a capacity to accommodate 505,990 people.
Since Saturday morning, the medical team, coast guard, navy, police, river police, district police, fire services, Red Crescent Society volunteer team, scout team, Ansar force, and other relevant organizations have been instructed to be at the highest level of preparedness.
