Most Vulnerable Countries for Hurricanes/Typhoons/Cyclones

[hurricaneCW]

I'm not talking about the cities, I'm wondering which countries are in great danger when it comes to hurricanes. These are the countries where even a weak hurricane has the potential to kill hundreds if not thousands of people and cause numerous property damages.

I'm talking globally, which countries are vulnerable in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.

[RL3AO]

By hurricanes, I take it you're talking about the Atlantic and East Pacific. The most vulnerable by far is Haiti. After that I'd say Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, ect.

For the entire world, it would be the countries in the Bay of Bengal, most notably India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh

[Macrocane]

On this side of the world I agree that Haiti is the most vulnerable, then the central american countries especially Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Dominican Republic has been historically very vulnerable too.

[Ad Novoxium]

I'll also say the Philippines. Not the worst, but because of the terrain, high-rainfall cyclones cause large swathes of damage.

[AussieMark]

Vietnam
in 1997 Linda which was a tropical storm killed over 3,000

[AussieMark]

I'll also say the Philippines. Not the worst, but because of the terrain, high-rainfall cyclones cause large swathes of damage.

Phillipines do seem to deal with intense typhoons very well its not like we hear about appalling death tolls from there

[Macrocane]

Actually almost every year they have at least one typhoon that produces 100 or more deaths, some examples:

2010 Conson 100
2009 Ketsana 460
2009 Parma 460
2008 Fengsehn 550
2006 Xangsane 200
2006 Durian 1000

It's true that they could have seen worse death tolls especially because it has more tropical cyclone landfalls per year than any other country but IMO that's what makes them vulnerable.

[RL3AO]

Yeah, but when those storms that kill 500 in the Philippines hit countries in the Bay of Bengal, then can and do kill ten thousand or more.

[Macrocane]

Yep you're right, worldwide the Bay of Bengal countries must be the most vulnerable but in other regions are:
Philippines and Vietnam in WPAC, Central America and Hispaniola in the EPAC-Atlantic and Madagascar in the southern Hemisphere.

[Ptarmigan]

Bangladesh. Low land, prone to high storm surge, and high population density.

[Chacor]

Philippines used to be much less storm-prepared. They do better nowadays. I remember a tropical depression quite recently (2004?) which killed a few thousand.

[Ad Novoxium]

Philippines used to be much less storm-prepared. They do better nowadays. I remember a tropical depression quite recently (2004?) which killed a few thousand.

Yeah, Winnie in 2004. Arguably, the Philippines weren't as prepared for a chain of storms (Unding/Muifa, Violeta/Merbok, Winnie, and Yoyong/Nanmadol all hit within the space of a month, and the first three of those names got retired by PAGASA). Indeed the Philippines have gotten better since the likes of Ike and Thelma, but the amount of landfalls means they are always on their toes for them.

[jinftl]

Agree with the above posts if we are solely talking about the potential for loss of life. If we are talking which countires have the greatest risk of economic loss due to a storm...in terms of actual $...than the U.S. has to top that list. Whether it is the super-unlikely possibility of a major inundating New York City....and the capital of the world's financial markets...or the first $100 billion+ storm crippling miami/fort lauderale, the u.s. has the highest risk in terms of potential economic loss.
And when you consider a storm in NYC, there are global economic impacts to that possibility.

[Aslkahuna]

Yeah, but when those storms that kill 500 in the Philippines hit countries in the Bay of Bengal, then can and do kill ten thousand or more.

Extremely rare for a storm that has hit the Philippines to survive passage across the SCS and SE Asia to be active in the Bay of Bengal-did happen in 1972. However, the big killers in the Bay of Bengal are homegrown there. That region which includes the Arabian Sea averages only 5 cyclones/year because from July into September the Monsoon Trough is overland but it has a nasty habit of making up for lost time.

Steve

[Macrocane]

I think that RL3AO meant that storms of the same strength can produce much more deaths in BOB than in Philippines.