1864 Calcutta cyclone
Formed | 2 October 1864 |
---|---|
Dissipated | 7 October 1864 |
Fatalities | 60,000+ |
Areas affected | India |
Part of the 1864 North Indian Ocean cyclone season |
On 5 October 1864, most of the areas of Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), India was inundated and destroyed by a tropical cyclone. Dubbed the 1864 Calcutta cyclone, the storm caused over 60,000 fatalities in its wake. The cyclone crossed the coast of West Bengal to the south of Hooghly River, one of the streams that are included in the Ganges River Delta. The majority of the deaths were from drowning and the others from sicknesses prevailing before the storm. The said river overflowed due to a storm surge and as the water rushed inland, everything in its course were washed away. The city, the other surrounding areas, and some harbors had to be rebuilt after the cyclone. There was also fundraising event established, but it failed. The total damages from the said storm were at Rs 99,200.
Observations
The cyclone was first noted on 2 October to the west of
From midnight of 2 to 10 October am of the next day, the ship Moneka experienced a fresh breeze to the west while a very black sky is observed to the north.
Impacts and aftermath
At exactly 14:30 UTC (10:00 pm
There were already a few sicknesses prevalent in
The total death toll from the cyclone were estimated at 60,000[nb 1], mainly due to drowning while the total damages were at Rs 99,200 with the majority coming from dockyard building damages.[1][3]
In the following months after the cyclone, the area, ports, and the whole city were rebuilt.[5] Some residents of Calcutta started a fundraiser, but it failed.[4] The loss is still felt in the minds of those who know how the city was destroyed and swept by this infamous cyclone.[3]
See also
- 1839 India cyclone - another deadly cyclone in India during 1839.
- Burmain 2008.
- 1970 Bhola cyclone - the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide, with a death toll of over 500,000.
Notes
- ^ No exact numbers existed.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Gastrell, James Eardley; Blanford, Henry Francis (1866). Report on the Calcutta Cyclone of the 5th October 1864. O.T. Cutter Military Orphan Press. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Saihgal, Tanya (5 October 2018). "154 years ago, this infamous cyclone in Calcutta took over 60,000 lives and flooded the entire city". India Today. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ a b "LOSSES BY THE CYCLONE". The Essex County Standard, etc. 23 November 1864. p. 4. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Calcutta Cyclone – India – October 5, 1864 – Devastating Disasters". Retrieved 30 April 2021.