1864 Calcutta cyclone

The cyclone was first noted on 2 October to the west of Andaman Islands.[1] However, a stormy pattern has been observed in the Andamans, starting on 27 to 30 September.[1] Moneka, a ship to the west of the Andamans, experienced "dark, rainy, squally weather and west-southwestward winds, with a low barometer amount" on 1 October.[1] The ship was heading west-northwest at that time and experienced this conditions until midnight.[1] On the next day, the ship's course is still the same, the weather is described as cloudy but not raining.[1] By afternoon, the sky looked very black and lowering (possibly referring to the barometer count) and the seas were rising.[1] By midnight that day, the weather conditions are still the same.[1] From observations in Port Blair and the ship Moneka, the vortex of the cyclone formed on the afternoon of 2 October.[1] However, by yesterday, despite the weather observations at the capital of Andamans and the ship were stormy, there were no observations of a circulation (present-day tropical disturbance).[1] On all available records, the developing cyclone possibly moved to the northwest then turned north.[1] Another ship, dubbed Conflict' experienced light variable winds from west-northwest and north-northwest, starting from the sunrise of October 2.[1] The sun rose up blood-red and the stars had a sickly appearance.[1] The barometer is still being high on the said ship.[1]

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.[1] From 10 am onwards, heavy rains started to pour and winds started to impact the ship with short break intervals.[1] The barometric pressure on the ship at that time is 29.61 inHg (1003 mbar).[1] Another ship named Wayfarer which was bound for Calcutta had experienced strong breeze and deluge of rains on 2 and 3 October.[1] Starting on 4 October, heavy rains and gusty winds impacted the shores of Calcutta and the nearby East Bengal.[1] As the time progresses, the rain decreases but the wind remained strong.[1] Three fires were present on Calcutta as the cyclone approaches.[1] The cyclone crossed the coast the East Coast of India to the south of the Hooghly River on 5 October. A factory near the coast experienced hurricane-force winds and torrential rainfall, with the said river also rising.[1] Dacca, 105 mi (169 km) from the cyclone, observed patterns of strong air which is "not that strong", based on observations of residents there.[1] Thunderstorms were seen throughout the area on the night of 5 October, being accompanied by strong torrential rains.[1] Some areas in the northeastern Indian state of Assam also seen rains and strong winds.[1] The cyclone moved north-northeast and is believed to be dissipated on 7 October, inland, possibly near or on East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh).[1]

The damages in a port harbour on Calcutta.

At exactly 14:30 UTC (10:00 pm IST) on 5 October, as conditions calmed, some employees of the factory near the coast of Calcutta went outside to observe, founding that many trees were uprooted, kutcha houses destroyed and boats sunk.[1][2] A rainfall amount of 24 inches (610 mm) were observed.[1] The ports of Khejuri and Hijli were reported to be destroyed and many ships were either damaged and/or sank in the Bay of Bengal.[3][4] Tens of thousands of straw and tiled huts were washed out and destroyed by strong winds.[1][3] The Hooghly River overflowed, drowning an unknown people and a storm wave (storm surge) were also seen in the area, killing another unknown number of individuals.[1][3][5] Dacca, which is nearly 170 kilometers south-southwest of the landfall point, also experienced the brunt of the storm.[1] No major damage were seen, but some boats were destroyed in the waters off the Bay of Bengal.[1]

The ships on another harbour, possibly before the cyclone.

There were already a few sicknesses prevalent in Calcutta before the cyclone, namely cholera, dysentery and smallpox.[1] In Midnapore, the deaths were mainly from these, but the total fatalities were unknown.[1] The Pergunnah Gomai recorded 23 deaths from drowning and another estimated amount of 526 more from sickness.[1] In Teraparah, the authorities there reported 132 victims of drowning and 515 deaths of the illnesses.[1] In Mysaudal, the loss from the storm surge was at 3,740 and the sickness at 4,243.[1] In Cassimnugger, the losses from drowning were at 686, while the sickness at an estimate of 496.[1] No other reports of deaths were recorded, but it is estimated that the cyclone killed over 60,000.[3] Telephone lines were downed and in total, Calcutta was heavily destroyed by this cyclone.[3][5]

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]

• 1839 India cyclone - another deadly cyclone in India during 1839.
• Cyclone Nargis - a deadly cyclone that killed over 138,300 individuals in Burma in 2008.
• 1970 Bhola cyclone - the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide, with a death toll of over 500,000.

• The Calcutta Cyclone in 1864 | Today In History by the UNTV News and Rescue, YouTube