The Deadliest Cyclones to Hit India and Bangladesh

Cyclone Amphan hit India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, prompting millions to rush to evacuation shelters, the New York Times reported.

While both countries are still under a coronavirus lockdown, the resulting crowding in shelters is an additional health danger.

The storm was reported as the strongest in 20 years, rivaling Cyclone Orisha which hit India in 1999 and caused 10,000 fatalities, in strength. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, the damage inflicted by Orisha was rather mild compared to historical cyclones that have ravaged Indian and Bangladeshi coast lines in the past.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration run by the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the deadliest cyclones in history have taken place in India and Bangladesh, with the six of the top 10 deadliest having occurred in the two countries. The worst of all time was the 1970 Bhola cyclone, which struck Bengal and Bangladesh and caused 500,000 to perish.