It was Asia's answer to Hurricane Katrina. Packing winds upwards of 120 mph, Cyclone Nargis became one of Asia's deadliest storms by hitting land at one of the lowest points in Myanmar and setting off a storm surge that reached 25 miles inland. Forecasters began tracking the cyclone April 28 as it first headed toward India. As projected, it took a sharp turn eastward, but didn't follow the typical cyclone track in that area leading to Bangladesh or Myanmar's mountainous northwest. Instead, it swept into the low-lying Irrawaddy delta in central Myanmar. The result was the worst disaster ever in the impoverished country. It was the first time such an intense storm hit the delta. The storm killed some 23,000 people and left about 37,000 still missing. ![]() Getting supplies to survivors of a brutal cyclone in Myanmar is now a race against time to prevent a disease disaster, as many impoverished victims continue to await help a week after the storm. Reports of diarrhea and skin problems have already surfaced, and health officials fear waterborne illnesses will emerge because of a lack of clean water, along with highly contagious diseases such as measles. Children, including those orphaned by the storm, face some of the greatest risks. The threat is heightened because many people in the worst-affected Irrawaddy delta were already in poor health prior to the cyclone. The storm killed some 23,000 people and left about 37,000 missing. Tens of thousands more were left homeless in the military-run country, which has one of the world's worst health systems. ![]() Copyright © 2003-2008 Crystal Wicker, All Rights Reserved Get a GoStats hit counter Web Design by
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