The World Health Organization reports that nation of Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes near the United States, because of its location at the triangular shaped head of the Bay of Bengal, the sea-level geography of its coastal area, its high population density and the lack of coastal protection systems. During the pre-monsoon season in April and May or post-monsoon season in October and November, cyclones frequently hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh. About 40% of the total global storm surges are recorded in Bangladesh, and the deadliest cyclones in the past 50 years, in terms of deaths and casualties, are those that have struck Bangladesh. In 1965, just as the pre-monsoon season was winding down disaster struck the region. A tropical cyclone blasted northward and pushed a wall of water storm surge across the flat low lands of the region. Because the land only rises a few feet above sea levels for scores of miles inland, flood waters quickly inundate the region, sweeping away everything in their path and giving no quarter for people to escape, the result can be and has been a massive loss of life. On June 1, 1965 such a tropical system struck the region with a death toll estimated near 30,000.
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This Date in Weather History Update
2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX
2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA
1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm
1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak
1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, WI
1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day
1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC
1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India
1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flooding in Pueblo, CO
1889: Flooding of the Potomac River
1889: The Johnstown Flood
1879: The Real-life inspiration for "The Wizard of Oz"
1914: Empress of Ireland and Storstad ships collide
1880: 1' of rain falls in less than 2 hours in Brackettville, TX
1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St. Louis
2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicago
1987: A fisherman is struck and killed by lightning
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