Cyclone Nargis caused severe damage in Myanmar in 2008. It formed over warm waters in the Bay of Bengal and traveled west, making landfall in Myanmar. The storm caused catastrophic damage due to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Over 138,000 people were killed or left missing. The damage was exacerbated by the lack of early warning systems and destruction of coastal mangrove forests that normally help protect against storm surges.

1. Cyclone
Nargis,
Myanmar,
2008
To understand the impacts and
management of a cyclone in an LEDC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy-GuL6MEco&feature=fvst

2. Where is
Myanmar?

3. Myanmar’s Physical Geography

5. What is Myanmar like?
• Using the tables in the atlas, compare
Myanmar with the USA
• Think about
– Illiteracy rate
– GDP per capita
– HDI (Human Development Index)
– Any other data you think is useful when thinking
about the effect of a tropical storm

6. Get an atlas
• Describe Myanmar’s location – 5 minutes
– The UK is an island approx. 1000 miles from north
to south. It is surrounded by the North Sea to the
east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the
English channel to the south. It’s closest point to
the European continent is at the strait of Dover
where it is just 30 miles from France
• Use the section on pg 138 titled ‘Myanmar’, to
make notes on the country. You must include
figures – 7 minutes
This is the kind
of detail I want.

7. 27°C
STRONG WINDS STRONG WINDS
Coreolis effect
Cold winds from
high atmosphere

8. Cyclone Nargis 2008

9. Describe the path the cyclone took.

10. What have mangrove swamps got to
do with anything?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRqTc39Q
oC8
• Make notes about the role that mangroves
play in the natural protection of the coastline
– pg 138

11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4
NjDAKLxo4
Cyclone Nargis Intro 1min 40

12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9
4gUE-naZ8&feature=channel
• Effects 2 mins 30

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1
J_9xCXgxI&feature=related
• Aid issue 1 min 35

14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m
KdpegtxvAw
• Nargis one year on 5 mins 8

15. CASE STUDY: Cyclone LEDC, Cyclone Nargis
Location Map
Myanmar – Background Information

16. CASE STUDY: Cyclone LEDC, Cyclone Nargis
Effects of the storm
Aid and Response to Cyclone Nargis Links to the
syllabus

17. HOMEWORK
• Complete Nargis case study card if not done –
this is your responsibility and you can feel happy it will be in
your folder ready to revise.
• Revise hurricanes and case studies for CAP 2
on Friday 2nd Dec

18. Exam Practice
• Name a type of climatic hazard and the
location it took place
• Explain the natural processes that caused this
event and how humans were affected.

19. Example A
• Hurrcane katrina, America
• Hurricanes form where the sea is warm and
air is rising to from clouds. These clouds then
start to spin and form strong winds and make
lots of precipitation. Humans were affected
cos there homes knocked down, trees fell over
and roads were destroyed. There was lots of
flooding.

20. Example B
• Hurricane Katrina, USA
• For a hurricane to form the sea temperature has to reach 27C.
This means that warm air containing water vapour starts to
rise and forms clouds. Strong winds rush in to replace the
rising air and the hurricane starts to spin. It travelled across
the ocean and hit New Orleans. Humans were affected
because the levees broke and flood water rushed into the city.
Many of the people that could not escape the city were the
poor, black communities. There was a lot of looting and many
were forced to go to the superbowl for shelter. This meant
they were sharing facilities with thousands of other people.
Some took days to get fresh water and be rescued from their
homes.

21. Example C
• Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, USA.
• This hurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean just to the east of the
Bahamas. The water temperatures were over 27C and warm air
and water vapour started rising very rapidly, condensing and
forming bands of clouds. This created an area of low pressure and
strong winds rushed in to replace the rising air. The hurricane
started spinning anti clockwise because of the coreolis effect and
travelled west across the Gulf of Mexico. When it made landfall in
New Orleans on 29th August 2005, 1.2 million people had been
evacuated. The people most affected were the poor black
communities, who were too poor to escape or had no transport.
The 250 mm of heavy rain meant that the levees on the Mississippi
breached in 53 places and flooded 80% of the city. 1836 died and
many bodies were left floating in the water. 10,000 were made
homeless and were forced to stay in the Superdome, sharing with
thousands of others. Roads were impassable and this meant that
people could only be rescued by helicopter. They could not call for
help as 3 million people lost electricity supplies.

22. Exam Practice
• Name a type of climatic hazard and the
location it took place
• Explain the natural processes that caused this
event and how humans activities affected the
impact of the natural hazard.

23. Tropical Storm comparison
Katrina vs Nargis

24. Tropical Storm comparison
Katrina vs Nargis
Put the statements into the correct places.
Arrange them whether you think they are similarities or
differences.
Discuss as a class.

25. Tropical Storm comparison
Katrina vs Nargis
For each of the differences, you must note down
what they are for both Katrina and Nargis.
E.g.
• Development of country
• Hurricane Katrina (USA) = MEDC
• Cyclone Nargis (Myanmar) = LEDC