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Cyclone Nargis Hits Myanmar (Burma) - Videos, Pictures, Map & News

Cyclone Nargis

Cyclone Nargis Summary:

Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone that developed in the Bay of Bengal about 360 miles off of the southeast coast of India on April 27, 2008. It gathered strength over the next several days and made landfall in Myanmar (Burma) on May 2, 2008. Landfall occurred in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar. The storm tracked northeast, passing close to the former capital city of Yangon. It finally died down near the Burma-Thailand border.

Strong winds of over 120 miles per hour, heavy rain, local flooding and a storm surge resulted in a death toll expected to exceed 100,000 with over 2,000,000 people left homeless and without water, power, food or sanitary conditions. It might be the deadliest cyclone of all time.

The high death and destruction caused by the storm was only partially due to its intensity. The Irrawaddy Delta area is very flat and only a few feet above sea level. Before the storm it was occupied by thousands of people who tend the many rice farms which are scattered across the delta. When the storm surge swept over the rice farms there was no high ground to find refuge and many farmers drowned. This wiped out the current rice crop and ruined the area where much of the country's food is produced. These things, combined with the government's reluctance to accept immediate foreign aid, resulted in an enormous death toll.

UNOSAT Assessments

Damage Assessment:

UNOSAT has a many damage assessment summaries online. These are detailed post-disaster information produced immediately after the storm hit.

Myanmar Maps

Where is Myanmar?:

The Union of Burma was formed in 1948 when it received independence from the United Kingdom. It became the Union of Myanmar in 1989. Map

Myanmar / Burma Map:

Map of the region from the United States Central Intelligence Agency Factbook. Map

Myanmar Cyclone Videos

The Disaster of Surviving the Disaster: Survivors tell UNICEF workers their stories.

2.5 Million Affected: World News Australia reports on relief efforts.

News Reports & More

Reuters Special Coverage:

Ongoing updates on Cyclone Nargis.

Times Online:

Cyclone survivors struggle to rebuild their lives.

Schools Reopen in Myanmar:

Damaged buildings raise concerns about
students' safety.

Disease Threatens Cyclone Survivors:

Many people have no choice but to drink contaminated water. Mosquito-borne diseases could also become a
problem as the insects continue to multiply in stagnant flood waters.

Myanmar Children Particularly Vulnerable:

Based on population data for the region, it is estimated that one-third of the lives claimed by Cyclone Nargis were those of children.

Junta Declares Relief Effort 'Finished':

Burmese officials have stated, essentially, that they are switching their focus away from emergency relief efforts, and will now begin rebuilding - despite the vast number of victims still in need of help.

Foreigners Banned from Devastation Area:

Journalists, aid workers, and diplomats are being confined to Yangon (Rangoon), the country's capital city, and are prohibited to enter the areas affected by the cyclone.