Cyclone: Nargis Flashcards
Where did Cyclone Nargis form?
In the Bay of Bengal
What category was Nargis by the time it reached the coast of Myanmar?
4
What were the windspeeds of Cyclone Nargis? (km/h)
215 km/h
How tall was the storm surge? (m) (Cyclone Nargis)
5 m
Was the response to Cyclone Nargis fast?
Slow
Where, in Myanmar, was hit the hardest? (Cyclone Nargis)
Irrawaddy Delta
How much land was flooded? (km2) (Cyclone Nargis)
14000 km2
Economic impacts of Cyclone Nargis
Over 6000 km2 of agricultural land was damaged, including rice paddies, crops and the loss of animals.
40% of food stores destroyed.
Millions lost livelihoods e.g. fishing boats.
Total cost= US $4 billion.
Social impacts of Cyclone Nargis
More than 140,000 people killed.
450,000 houses destroyed- 2.5 million without shelter.
4000 schools and 75% of health facilities destroyed or damaged.
43% of freshwater ponds contaminated by saltwater.
70% of people had NO CLEAN WATER.
Poor sanitation lead to contaminated water- diarrhoea and dysentery.
Environmental impacts of Cyclone Nargis
380 km2 of mangrove forests destroyed.
Flooding eroded and led to the salinization of land.
Responses- before the event of Cyclone Nargis
Myanmar’s weather forecasters issued warnings via radio and TV- there were, however, no suggestions of evacuation.
No evacuation plans, no emergency preparations and there was no early warning system.
Response- after the event of Cyclone Nargis
The government only accepted foreign aid a week later- this included: food, tents.
The UN refugee agency sent shelters, water purification tablets, first aid kits, blankets and food parcels.
Aid workers were not allowed in until the 19th May- over two weeks after the event- this delay cost many lives.
