🌀 Deadliest Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoons in Recorded History

Direct answer: the deadliest hurricane / cyclone / typhoon in our documented records is the 1970 Bhola Cyclone (1970), with an estimated 300,000 deaths (Estimates range 300,000–500,000). Death tolls for events before modern record-keeping vary widely between sources; every figure below links to its citation.

← All deadliest disasters

#EventTypeCountryYearEstimated deaths
1 1970 Bhola Cyclone Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Bangladesh 1970 300,000 *
2 1970 Bhola Cyclone Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Bangladesh 1970 300,000 *
3 2008 Cyclone Nargis Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Myanmar 2008 138,373 *
4 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Bangladesh 1991 138,000 *
5 1998 Hurricane Mitch Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Honduras 1998 11,000 *
6 1900 Galveston Hurricane Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 1900 8,000 *
7 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Philippines 2013 6,300 *
8 2017 Hurricane Maria Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon Puerto Rico 2017 3,059 *
9 2005 Hurricane Katrina Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 2005 1,833 *
10 Hurricane Hazel, 15 October 1954 Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 1954 1,200 *
11 The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 — the "White Hurricane" Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 1913 250 *
12 2024 Hurricane Helene Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 2024 249 *
13 The 1939 California Tropical Storm, 25 September 1939 Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 1939 93 *
14 1962 Columbus Day Storm Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 1962 46 *
15 Hurricane Wilma, 19 October 2005 — the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record Hurricane / Cyclone / Typhoon United States 2005 23 *

* Figures marked with an asterisk carry significant uncertainty — open each event for its sources and uncertainty note. Historical death tolls, especially before 1900, are estimates that differ between reputable sources. Coverage depends on available documentation; see our methodology.