Tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan in 1970
1970 Bhola cyclone
The ITOS 1 weather satellite image of the cyclone shortly after peak intensity making landfall in East Pakistan on November 12
Meteorological history
Formed
November 8, 1970
Dissipated
November 13, 1970
Extremely severe cyclonic storm
3-minute sustained (IMD)
Highest winds
185 km/h (115 mph)
Lowest pressure
960 hPa (mbar); 28.35 inHg
Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds
240 km/h (150 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities
300,000–500,000 (Deadliest tropical cyclone on record)
Damage
$86.4 million (1970pa USD)
Areas affected
East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India
Part of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1970 Bhola cyclone (also known as the Great Cyclone of 1970[1]) was a devastating Tropical Cyclone that struck East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970.[2] It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the world's deadliest humanitarian disasters. At least 300,000 people died in the storm,[3] possibly as many as 500,000,[4][5] primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta.[6] Bhola was the sixth and strongest cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.[7]
The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on November 8 and traveled northward, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on November 10, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan on the following afternoon. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected upazila, Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 were killed by the storm.
The Pakistani government, led by junta leader General Yahya Khan, was criticized for its delayed handling of relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and by the international media. The poor and discriminating response from the West Pakistan government led to the increasingly widespread disillusionment from the East Pakistani people, allowing the opposition Awami League to gain a landslide victory in the province during the election that took place a month later as well as the Bangladesh Liberation War 7 months later.
^Longshore, David (2007). Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (2 ed.). Facts On File Inc. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-8160-6295-9.
^"World's deadliest tropical cyclone was 50 years ago". public.wmo.int. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
^"World: Highest Mortality, Tropical Cyclone". World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive. Arizona State University. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
^"The 16 deadliest storms of the last century". Business Insider India. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
^Francis, Julian (November 9, 2019). "Remembering the great Bhola cyclone". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
^Ouderm, Paula (December 6, 2007). "NOAA Researcher's Warning Helps Save Lives in Bangladesh". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
^"Cyclone". en.banglapedia.org. Banglapedia. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
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