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Cyclone Nargis: Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis (سگرن

Cyclone Nargis was an extremely deadly and destructive cyclone that made landfall in Myanmar in May 2008. It caused at least 138,373 fatalities and $10 billion in damage, making it the worst natural disaster and most damaging cyclone ever recorded in Myanmar's history. The cyclone sent a powerful storm surge 40 km inland that caused catastrophic destruction in the densely populated Irrawaddy delta region. Relief efforts were slowed because Myanmar's military government initially resisted large-scale international aid.

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135 views2 pages

Cyclone Nargis: Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis (سگرن

Cyclone Nargis was an extremely deadly and destructive cyclone that made landfall in Myanmar in May 2008. It caused at least 138,373 fatalities and $10 billion in damage, making it the worst natural disaster and most damaging cyclone ever recorded in Myanmar's history. The cyclone sent a powerful storm surge 40 km inland that caused catastrophic destruction in the densely populated Irrawaddy delta region. Relief efforts were slowed because Myanmar's military government initially resisted large-scale international aid.

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Cyclone Nargis

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis (‫ˈ[ نرگس‬nərɡɪs]) was an extremely destructive and
deadly cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar during
early May 2008.[1] The cyclone made landfall in Myanmar on Friday, 2 May 2008, sending a
storm surge 40 kilometres up the densely populated Irrawaddy delta, causing catastrophic
destruction and at least 138,373 fatalities.[2][3][4] The Labutta Township alone was reported to
have 80,000 dead, with about 10,000 more deaths in Bogale. There were around 55,000 people
missing and many other deaths were found in other towns and areas, although the Myanmar
government's official death toll may have been under-reported, and there have been allegations
that government officials stopped updating the death toll after 138,000 to minimise political
fallout. The feared 'second wave' of fatalities from disease and lack of relief efforts never
materialised.[5] Damage was estimated at over K62,988,000,000 (US$10 billion), which made it
the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin.[6]

The first named storm of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Nargis developed on 27
April in the central area of Bay of Bengal. Initially, the storm tracked slowly northwestward, and
encountering favourable conditions, it quickly strengthened. Dry air weakened the cyclone on 29
April, though after beginning a steady eastward motion, Nargis rapidly intensified to attain peak
winds of at least 165 km/h (105 mph) on 2 May, according to IMD observations; the JTWC
assessed peak winds of 215 km/h (130 mph), making it a weak Category 4 cyclone on the SSHS.
The cyclone moved ashore in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar at peak intensity and, after
passing near the major city of Yangon (Rangoon), the storm gradually weakened until dissipating
near the border of Myanmar and Thailand.

Nargis is the deadliest named cyclone in the North Indian Ocean Basin, as well as the second-
deadliest named cyclone of all time, behind Typhoon Nina of 1975. Including unnamed storms
like the 1970 Bhola cyclone, Nargis is the sixth-deadliest cyclone of all time, but an uncertainty
between the deaths caused by Nargis and those caused by other cyclones (like the 1991
Bangladesh cyclone), could put Nargis as fifth-deadliest or higher, because the exact death toll is
uncertain. Nargis was the first tropical cyclone to strike the country since Cyclone Mala made
landfall in 2006, which was slightly stronger, but had a significantly lower impact. According to
reports, Indian authorities had warned Myanmar about the danger that Cyclone Nargis posed 48
hours before it hit the country's coast.

Relief efforts were slowed for political reasons as Myanmar's military rulers initially resisted
large-scale international aid. US President George W. Bush said that an angry world should
condemn the way Myanmar's military rulers were handling the aftermath of such a catastrophic
cyclone.[7] Myanmar's military junta finally accepted aid a few days after India's request was
accepted.[8]

Hampering the relief efforts, only ten days after the cyclone, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
occurred nearby and measured 7.9 in magnitude, taking 87,476 lives[9] and causing
US$150 billion in damage in the process, making it the costliest disaster in Chinese history and
third-costliest disaster ever known. Furthermore, some donated aid items were found to be
available in the country's black market, and Myanmar's junta warned on 15 May that legal action
would be taken against people who traded or hoarded international aid.

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