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.
"When we saw the (storm) track, I said, 'Uh oh, this is not going to be good," said Mark Lander, a meteorology professor at the University of Guam. "It would create a big storm surge. It was like Katrina going into New Orleans."
But, in truth, cyclone Nargis was much, much stronger and more deadly than Katrina and any comparisons is superficial at best. Winds during Nargis, for instance, got up to 135 mph upon landfall and may have killed up to 100,000 people -- already ranked as the 8th deadliest cyclone in recorded history. (Katrina's winds were measured at 125 mph at landfall and killed about 1,836 people)
Naturally, it's all because of global warming, too.
Some environmentalists suggested global warming may have played a role. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that warming oceans could contribute to increasingly severe cyclones with stronger winds and heavier rains.
Yes, "some environmentalists" think its all because of global warming. And "some" people think the Earth is flat, and "some" people claim to have had sex with Bigfoot, too.
Keep on the watch for this "Asia's Katrina" narrative. It may begin to get wider notice among the MSM. Next thing you'll know, the military junta in Myanmar will be called the "Bush administration" of Asia!
(Photo credit: Huffingtonpost.com)
(H/t Newsbuster reader John)
