Oftentimes, natural disasters are something we can’t even predict and not avoid at all. They happen from time to time, and that’s how we get the idea of how powerful nature is or can be sometimes. In the past, many natural disasters have taken literally hundreds of millions of lives all around the globe, and whenever such a thing happens, it is a huge loss to humanity. Today though, we’re here specifically to take a good look at the top 10 biggest natural disasters in India ever. And to be honest, India has been through some of the worst natural disasters out there. So, let’s have a look.
1. The Great Bengal Famine (1770)
This is the worst event in Indian history and many felt it like doomsday, and yes, you’re kinda right, we’re talking about the Great Bengal Famine of 1770. Just so you know though, the famine was not solely due to failed monsoons and drought, the agony was further enhanced by the exploitative policies under the East India Company and that was a big issue back then. Just to give you perspective on things, over 10 million men, women, and children fell prey to the jaws of starvation and diseases in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
2. Coringa Cyclone (1839)
Next on the list, did you know that Coringa, the once-thriving port city in Andhra Pradesh, could be almost wiped out from history due to a single disaster? Yes, you’re right, that disaster was the cyclone that struck in 1839 and created a storm surge so powerful that it killed 20,000 people and completely wiped out the town. From there on, Coringa never looked the same, and it probably never will.
3. The Plague Epidemic (1894)
An epidemic can damage a land no less than a natural calamity, and the plague epidemic of 1894 proved this point most tragically. Like, it took the form of wildfire speed in this overcrowded space of cities like Bombay and Calcutta, drawing 12 million lives across the length of India. Sure enough, back then, poor sanitation and inadequate medical infrastructure made containment impossible, marking this as one of the most lethal outbreaks in Indian history.
4. Odisha Super Cyclone (1999)
It is a 100% true that the Odisha Super Cyclone, perhaps the most devastating of India’s cyclones in the past, was experienced and that was the most damaging one so far. Just to give you perspective on things, the winds were blowing at a speed of over 250 km/h (155+ miles per hour), the equivalent of a Category 5 storm, you know, which led to the death of 15,000 people and the displacement of millions. Not just that though, with its economic costs surpassing $4.5 billion, this very natural disaster alarmed India to proactively address disaster preparedness and cyclone warning systems, and those systems have reached a more developed state over time.
5. Gujarat Earthquake (2001)
The Republic Day of 2001 was the dawn of the darkest days of Gujarat. Like, back then, a 7.7 Richter scale earthquake resulted in the casualties of more than 20,000 people, and thousands of them were also injured. Some cities including Bhuj and Ahmedabad emerged as the most affected ones in terms of economic losses of over $5 billion.
6. Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004)
You see, on the morning of December 26, 2004, a giant earthquake of magnitude 9.1 exploded under the sea, and instantly a fatal tsunami occurred in the whole of the Indian Ocean. Keep in mind though, in India, the impact of the tsunami was felt in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an island group. Over 12,400 lives were lost, and thousands were homeless and found shelter either in relief camps or with other families. This for sure led to India actually developing a more accurate and better tsunami warning system, which is in place already in many different areas.
7. Mumbai Floods (2005)
Just to think of a city like Mumbai actually coming to a standstill due to the kinda never-ending rainfall was a reality on July 26, 2005. How was that? Well, just so you know, the city witnessed a whopping 944 mm of rain over a space of 24 hours, managing to choke up drainage systems and thereby coinciding with severe flooding. Around 5000 people died, and the financial capital had days without an infrastructure movement, and that was a big thing right there.
8. Uttarakhand Flash Floods (2013)
We all know by this point that back in 2013, we saw nature’s fury releasing its might over the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Back then, glacial lake bursts, which flooded rain conditions, contributed to the tragic flash floods in 2013. The flood was experienced in the region of Kedarnath temple, where nearly 5700 people lost their lives along with innumerable houses, roads, and bridges being swept away, you know?
9. Kerala Floods (2018)
Then, August 2018 was supposed to be the last month that saw Kerala experience a maximum flood event in nearly 100 years. Like, the areas exceeded in lakes due to unprecedented torrential monsoon rains, resulting in large-scale flooding and landslides claiming over 400 live, displacing more than a million people, and causing over $4 billion in economic loss, and all this led to red flags being raised regarding sustainable development in the management of freshwater resources in such flood-prone areas, you know?
10. Malpa Landslide (1998)
Last but not least, the infamous Malpa landslide of 1998 finds its place at the tenth spot. How and why? Well, first of all, this landslide affected an entire village in the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand. The landslide followed heavy rainfall and took its toll of 380 lives, including that of pilgrims going to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. This disaster just goes to show the risks faced by communities living in mountainous terrain, you know, where fragile ecosystems and relentless rains can turn fatal in an instant, and that’s precisely what happened with this natural disaster.
Conclusion
There you have it. The list of natural disasters just goes on and on when we talk about India, these ten are the top ones that have taken the most lives and caused way too much damage to the nation. If this isn’t heartbreaking to someone, we don’t know what really is.
