Bhola Cyclone, 1970

On November 12, 1970, a tropical cyclone struck East Pakistan and India’s West Bengal. The gigantic storm destroyed the offshore island, wiping out villages and crops. With winds reaching 115 miles per hour winds, 45 percent of the 167,000-person population were killed in Upazila, Tazumuddin.

By the time the cyclone’s deadly cycle ended 500,000 people were killed. It is the deadliest cyclone ever recorded and is considered one of the world’s worst natural disasters. The sixth cyclone of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it resulted in 85 percent of all of the homes in the area being destroyed, and it cost $550 million USD in damages.