14 • Continued from previous page Each year, tropical cyclones cause multiple casualties, deaths, and significant damage to property and infrastructure in the immediate term. • Over the past 50 years, 1,945 disasters have been attributed to tropical cyclones, which killed 779,324 people and caused US$1.4 trillion in economic losses – an average of 43 deaths and US$78 million in damages daily. • Tropical cyclones represented 17% of weather-, climate- and water-related disasters and were responsible for one third of both deaths (38%) and economic losses (38%) over the 50-year period. • In the longer term, such as with 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and Tropical Cyclone Harold in 2020, the impact can persist for many years, with communities still trying to recover from the destruction and displacement that occurred. • Climate change is linked not only to an increased likelihood of major hurricanes, but also to direct increases in their destructive power. • Socioeconomic impacts related to tropical cyclones are increasing worldwide due to a rise in coastal physical infrastructure and people living in coastal regions. The increase in the destructive power of a tropical cyclone emphasizes the importance of ensuring all people and property are protected by early warning systems. SOURCE: https://wmo.int/topics/ tropical-cyclone • Continues on next page We tend to be familiar with the most powerful and devastating hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and the Caribbean region, but the list below, derived from a Google search, tells the story elsewhere. 1. Bhola Cyclone (1970): Estimated to have killed between 300,000 and 500,000 people in what is now Bangladesh due to a storm surge. 2. Great Calcutta Cyclone (1737): An estimated 300,000 deaths. 3. Coringa Cyclone (1839): Estimated to have killed 300,000 people in the coastal town of Coringa, India. 4. Haiphong Typhoon (1881): Considered one of the deadliest typhoons, with an estimated 500,000 deaths. 5. Typhoon Nina (1975): A Category 4 typhoon that killed around 171,000 people in China. 6. Cyclone Nargis (2008): Caused extensive damage and an estimated 138,366 deaths in Myanmar. Most Intense: 1. Typhoon Tip (1979): Known for its immense size and high sustained winds. 2. Typhoon Haiyan (2013): Made landfall in the Philippines with winds estimated at 305 km/h (190 mph). 3. Cyclone Winston (2016): Considered the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching maximum sustained winds of around 297 km/h (185 mph). 4. Typhoon Iris (1951): Reached sustained wind speeds of 280 km/h (170 mph). 5. Typhoon Vera (1959): Made landfall in Japan with estimated sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph). Other Notable Cyclones: • Typhoon Hagibis (2019): The costliest typhoon on record in Japan, causing $15 billion in damage. • Tropical Cyclone Drena (1997): Caused significant damage and one death in New Zealand. • Cyclone Fergus (1996): Brought heavy rainfall to the Coromandel region of New Zealand.
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