It all began with the formation of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal during the last week of April 2008. The depression gradually developed into a cyclonic storm over the weekend and was named Cyclonic Storm Nargis. The storm was initially forecast to move in the north-northwesterly direction and strike Bangladesh or southeastern India, but it eventually turned nearly due east and intensified rapidly on 1 May 2008 attaining an estimated peak wind speed of 135 miles per hour as it approached the coast of Myanmar.

Nargis made landfall in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady division at peak strength on 2 May 2008. It proceeded east over the Ayeyarwady division and then turned northeast to hit Yangon and Bago divisions, Mon and Kayin states before dissipating near the Myanmar-Thai border. 7 townships in Ayeyarwady division and 40 in Yangon division were severely affected. Nargis destroyed virtually everything on its path over Ayeyarwaddy and Yangon divisions leaving widespread property damage and a heavy toll on human life. It is the worst natural disaster in the history of Myanmar.