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How a Tropical Cyclone Caused a Revolution and Led To A Genocide
The deadliest tropical cyclone in history
The Great Cyclone of 1970 is the deadliest cyclone in world history. The storm formed on November 8th, 1970, in the middle of the Bay of Bengal before crashing ashore in East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh) on November 12th, 1970. The storm was a powerful cyclone, packing winds of 115mph at its peak. However, the wind was not the problem.
The Great Cyclone of 1970 was so deadly because of the storm surge that it caused. The torrential rains, combined with massive movement of water from the bay, quickly flooded low-lying islands and delta communities along the coast. The flooding was so catastrophic that it killed an estimated 300,000 people. Some estimates claim that the storm killed over 500,000 people, with many drowning and being swept away during the height of the storm. Much of the area along the Bengal coast is extremely low, marshy, and flat, making it the perfect place for storm surges to rise quickly.
For the people who survived the storm, the wind and the rain were just the beginning. The storm was so catastrophic that it kicked off a chain of events that would leave thousands more dead and change the face of the region forever.
