In 1970 Cyclone Bhola struck Bangladesh and killed more than 300,000 people, a death toll driven less by the storm's strength than by the absence of warnings, shelters and evacuation plans. A huge surge pushed into densely populated coastal areas, and many people drowned in their own homes. Over the following decades Bangladesh built an early warning system, a network of cyclone shelters, and organised community evacuation procedures. Storms of comparable strength now typically cause far fewer deaths, showing that preparedness, not just meteorology, decides how many people survive a cyclone.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.