Tropical Cyclone Roanu lashed the coast of Bangladesh with heavy winds and sheets of rain, killing at least 21 people and forcing the evacuation of half a million residents, authorities said. With 55 mile-per-hour winds and downpours of more than a foot in some areas on Saturday, the cyclone hit the south and southeast regions of Barisal and Chittagong especially hard — damaging hundreds of houses and causing landslides, according to disaster officials.
Roanu made landfall Saturday and began to weaken as it roared over Bangladesh, according to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar. In the days before it touched down, the cyclone dumped 9 to 13 inches of rain in parts of Bangladesh and more than 18 inches in Kakinada, India, more than 800 miles away. READ MORE
