Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876
Encyclopedia
The Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876 (October 29 – November 1, 1876) was one of the deadliest cyclone
s in history. It hit the coast of Backerganj (near Meghna estuary
) in present-day Barisal, Bangladesh
, killing about 200,000 people, half of whom were drowned by the storm surge
, and the remainder died in the resultant famine.
The cyclone formed over the SE Bay of Bengal
as a depression near 10.0°N and 89.0°E on October 27, intensified into a cyclonic storm near 15.0°N and 89.0°E on October 30 and subsequently intensified into a severe cyclonic storm with a core of hurricane winds. The cyclone moved north up to the North Bay and then NNE.
On October 31, the cyclone made landfall on Backerganj.
The maximum wind was estimated at 220 km/h (119 knots) and the surge height was 3–13.6 m (10–45 ft).
According to Banglapedia
, a cyclone with a storm-surge of 12.2 metres (40 ft) hit Meghna River estuary near Chittagong, Barisal, and Noakhali. Casualty: about 200,000. The storm also caused epidemic and famine, and vast property damage.
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s in history. It hit the coast of Backerganj (near Meghna estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
) in present-day Barisal, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, killing about 200,000 people, half of whom were drowned by the storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
, and the remainder died in the resultant famine.
The cyclone formed over the SE Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
as a depression near 10.0°N and 89.0°E on October 27, intensified into a cyclonic storm near 15.0°N and 89.0°E on October 30 and subsequently intensified into a severe cyclonic storm with a core of hurricane winds. The cyclone moved north up to the North Bay and then NNE.
On October 31, the cyclone made landfall on Backerganj.
The maximum wind was estimated at 220 km/h (119 knots) and the surge height was 3–13.6 m (10–45 ft).
According to Banglapedia
Banglapedia
Banglapedia, or the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia. It is available in print, CD-ROM format and online, in both Bangla and English. The print version comprises ten 500-page volumes...
, a cyclone with a storm-surge of 12.2 metres (40 ft) hit Meghna River estuary near Chittagong, Barisal, and Noakhali. Casualty: about 200,000. The storm also caused epidemic and famine, and vast property damage.