Cyclone Nargis Storm Statistics

Cyclone Nargis was the first cyclone of the 2008 season in the northern Indian Ocean. With a devastating death toll (that may continue to rise) at least 22,000 are dead with as many as 50,000 more missing in Myanmar (Burma). (Update: Over 130,000 are feared dead. More could die from diseases and food shortages in the long term as well.) Cyclone Nargis was the equivalent of a category 3-4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A lot of the devastation was a result of the storm surges. The massive flooding could be seen via NASA’s TERRA satellite. In the image to the right, floodwaters are shown as a blue-black color. Cyclone Nargis came ashore across the Irrawaddy river and followed the coastline northeast. The bottom image shows the total destruction caused by the cyclone as the entire coast flooded.

The Bay of Bengal is particularly susceptible to high storm surges for several reasons. The shallow continental shelf makes the water height become higher while the low lying areas (which are heavily populated) are relatively flattened. The track of the storm came close to Bangladesh reminding residents of Cyclone Sidr.