Hurricane/Cyclone/Typhoon Journal Entry

Toll Climbs From Myanmar Cyclone (May 8, 2008)

Fierce Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Nargis blasted the coast of Myanmar (Burma) over the weekend packing winds of over 130 mph (200 km/h). The deadly storm triggered widespread floods in low-lying areas, leaving a trail of destruction.

The death toll rose sharply this week as rescue teams slowly reached scores of villages flattened by the storm. Officially, government sources say 23,000 people were killed and 42,000 others are missing and most likely drowned in floods.

Observers say the toll is certain to climb much higher in the days ahead, possibly way past the 100,000 mark. It's shaping up to be the most deadly natural disaster to strike Asia since the massive earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia in December 2004.

Scenes of unimaginable destruction are everywhere in the Irrawaddy Delta and the city of Yangon (Rangoon). Although an exact count is difficult, it's likely the cyclone left more than a million people homeless. Supplies of food and water are running low in many areas, while power and phone service are out. The risk of waterborne diseases is high. Workers struggled to get water purification tablets, mosquito nets, medicine, and other emergency supplies to victims of the disaster.

The nation's military government is getting heavy criticism for moving too slowly to respond to the tragedy. The government promised to open the nation's doors to let in international relief groups.

The leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations says the destruction of mangrove forests along Myanmar's coasts gets some of the blame for the huge loss of life from the cyclone. Mangrove forests help shield towns along the coast from the fury of big storms. Bit by bit, the forests are shrinking as human development spreads out more and more.