(TWC) – As Tropical Cyclone Fani moves into northeastern India and Bangladesh this week, it’s a reminder of the tragic history of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, including one that killed hundreds of thousands of people. On Nov. 11, 1970, the Great Bhola Cyclone moved into East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh, and produced devastating storm-surge flooding. The maximum storm surge was estimated at nearly 35 feet high, roaring over the flat, low-lying region and producing massive destruction.
Warnings were issued by Pakistan’s meteorological service, but not many people sought shelter and others lacked a nearby shelter or had no way of reaching one, according to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division. The combination of storm surge and a lack of evacuation resulted in a massive death toll, estimated to be 300,000 to 500,000 people. This makes it the deadliest known tropical cyclone in history. Over 45 percent of the population of 167,000 in the city of Tazumuddin was killed, according to the University of Rhode Island. READ MORE
