The Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876 (29 October – 1 November 1876) was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in history. It hit the coast of Backerganj, Bengal Presidency, British India (near Meghna estuary in present-day Barisal, Bangladesh), killing about 200,000 people, half of whom were drowned by the storm surge, while the rest died from the subsequent famine.SMRC-No.1 – The impact of tropical cyclones on the coastal regions of SAARC countries and their influence in the region, SAARC Meteorological Research Center (SMRC),1998.
Meteorological history The cyclone formed over the SE Bay of Bengal as a depression near 10.0°N and 89.0°E on 27 October, intensified into a cyclonic storm near 15.0°N and 89.0°E on 30 October 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 31 October, the cyclone made landfall on Backerganj.
The maximum wind speed was estimated at and the surge height was .
See also
North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone An Imperial Disaster: The Bengal Cyclone of 1876
References