18. A Second Cyclone Disaster Even More Tragic and Devastating than the First
On November 25th, 1839, again unusually late in the Bay of Bengal’s cyclone season, a gigantic cyclone struck Coringa. It brought with it a 40-foot storm surge. The extensive damage of the earlier 1789 cyclone paled in comparison to this one. It completely demolished Coringa, destroyed all ships in the harbor, carried their wreckage miles inland, and killed over 300,000 people.
This time the damage was so extensive that the few survivors made no effort to rebuild. Most upped stakes and scattered to pursue their lives elsewhere, putting distance between themselves and what was seen as a cursed city. The few who remained, some of whom were old enough to have experienced both devastating cyclones during their lifetimes, abandoned the coast altogether and rebuilt their community miles inland.