1970 Bhola cyclone
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| Unknown strength tropical cyclone (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Bhola cyclone on November 11, 1970, at 0858 UTC. |
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| Formed | November 7, 1970 | |
| Dissipated | November 13, 1970 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | Unknown | |
| Damage | Unknown | |
| Fatalities | ~500,000 direct (Deadliest tropical cyclone of all time) | |
| Areas affected |
Bangladesh | |
| Part of the 1970 North Indian cyclone season |
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The Bhola cyclone was a powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on 13 November 1970. It is the deadliest known tropical cyclone of all time; an estimated 500,000 people lost their lives, mostly through drowning.
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[edit] Landfall
On the night of 12 November a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was approaching the coast of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Winds believed to be in excess of 120 mph (190 km/h), combined with an exceptionally high storm surge of 15 to 20 feet (5 to 6 m), drove a tidal surge into the low lying, densely populated region in the early hours of the morning. The result was widespread flooding, with many people asleep when the tidal bore overwhelmed their homes.
The official death toll was put at 500,000, with 100,000 people missing [1], making it the deadliest tropical cyclone on record. Many estimates put the figure higher, sometimes as high as 1,000,000. It is also one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times, being comparable to the 1976 Tangshan earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (due to uncertainty over death tolls, it may never be known for sure which of these natural disasters was the deadliest).
The highest loss of life and destruction occurred on the low lying islands of the Ganges Delta south of Dhaka. The island and district of Bhola (where casualties may have exceeded 100,000) was particularly impacted, with the towns of Charfasson and Tazumuddin being devastated. The city of Chittagong was also badly affected.
The Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable to cyclone disasters. The next most comparable disaster in the area was the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone which killed over 140,000 people.
[edit] Aftermath
The poor response of the Pakistani government in the aftermath of the storm was a major contributing factor that led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in the spring of 1971.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Data on Bangladesh disasters from NIRAPAD disaster response organisation.
- On this day - liketelevision
- Islam Online - Disaster Victims
- UNISYS 1970 tracks
- East Pakistan - Cyclone Protection and Coastal Area Rehabilitation Project - World Bank Archives
