CYCLONE CASE STUDY: Cyclone Nargis, 2 May 2008

date

  • 2 May 2008

  • formed on 27 April 2008

  • made landfall on May 2nd.

figures

  • winds → 165km/h - 215 km/h

  • category 3-4

  • peak air pressure → 962millibars.

  • killed 146,000 people

  • damages ~ $10 million

areas affected

  • Burma

  • Mayanmar

  • parts of Bangladesh

  • India

  • Sri lanka

events that took place

  • Burmese government identified that 15 towns around the Irrawaddy delta were affected the worst → 90% of the housing had been lost, 70% of the population was dead or missing.

  • the delta is home to ~ 7 million people and about 2 million live on land that is only just 5m above sea level making them extremely vulnerable.

  • the UN estimated that over 1.5 million people were severely affected by the cyclone.

  • 75% of the buildings were destroyed in the town of Labutta

  • 95% of the buildings around the delta were destroyed.

aid reliefs

  • the Burmese government declined international aid

  • on 6th May the military government of Burma (junta) asked for UN aid.

  • on 9th May the junta declared that aid would be limited to food, medicines and some other specific supplies as well as economic aid.

  • search and rescue teams were only sent to majorly impacted areas.

  • India sent 50 medical experts to help too.

additional info

  • many Burmese people were displeased with their government

  • as no warnings of the cyclone was provided even though Indian meteorologists had warned the government 48 hours before the cyclone hit.

  • the delay attracted international condemnation

  • 2 weeks after the disaster only 25% of the people in need had received the aid.