Tropical Cyclone Phyan has just struck India’s western coast near the commercial capital of Mumbai, prompting mass evacuations.
In preparation for the storm, authorities has closed schools, shops and offices.
The cyclone, however, turned out to be more rain than wrath along India’s drought-ridden coast. Though it has been reported that the storm caused no major damage, 200 fisherman are missing in the rough seas. Indian natives have seen their fair share of destruction from cyclones.
In May of this year, Cyclone Aila pounded eastern India and Bangladesh, killing close to 200 people and destroying thousands of homes.
And just two years ago, Cyclone Sidr struck the same area, killing more than 3,500 people and displacing another 2 million. Below is a listing of the 15 deadliest cyclones in history, with death toll figures (death tolls from the earliest cyclones are more speculative than fact).
- Great Bhola Cyclone, Bangladesh, 1970, Bay of Bengal, 500,000
- Hooghly River Cyclone, India and Bangladesh, 1737, Bay of Bengal, 300,000
- Haiphong Typhoon, Vietnam, 1881, West Pacific, 300,000
- Coringa, India, 1839, Bay of Bengal, 300,000
- Backerganj Cyclone, Bangladesh, 1584, Bay of Bengal, 200,000
- Great Backerganj Cyclone, Bangladesh, 1876, Bay of Bengal, 200,000
- Chittagong, Bangladesh, 1897, Bay of Bengal, 175,000
- Super Typhoon Nina, China, 1975, West Pacific, 171,000
- Cyclone 02B, Bangladesh, 1991, Bay of Bengal, 140,000
- Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar, 2008, Bay of Bengal, 140,000
- Great Bombay Cyclone, India, 1882, Arabian Sea, 100,000
- Hakata Bay Typhoon, Japan, 1281, West Pacific, 65,000
- Calcutta, India, 1864, Bay of Bengal, 60,000
- Swatlow, China, 1922, West Pacific, 60,000
- Barisal, Bangladesh, 1822, Bay of Bengal, 50,000
- Sunderbans coast, Bangladesh, 1699, Bay of Bengal, 50,000
- India, 1833, Bay of Bengal, 50,000
- India, 1854, Bay of Bengal, 50,000
Authorities remain on alert as mudslides are a common occurrence following the torrential rains of tropical cyclones. More reports will be available as the destruction (or lack thereof) and loss of life become more clear. Stay tuned.