CYCLONE MALA HITS HARD, DIES QUICKLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000588

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID SENV CASC BM
SUBJECT: CYCLONE MALA HITS HARD, DIES QUICKLY


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Classified By: P/E Chief W. Patrick Murphy for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Burma dodged another bullet from Mother
Nature when Cyclone Mala hit landfall on April 29, quickly
weakened into a tropical storm, and then completely petered
out. Before arriving on the western coast of Burma, however,
the cyclone created substantial rainfall and heavy winds that
caused considerable damage, and several casualties, in a
western Rangoon suburb. As of May 1, the GOB had not
requested any assistance from UN agencies. There were no
reports of Amcit casualties. End Summary.


2. (U) Burma, which emerged relatively unscathed from the
2004 tsunami, experienced another lucky break when Cyclone
Mala hit landfall on April 29 and quickly weakened into a
minor tropical storm. The cyclone formed in the Bay of
Bengal and, according to international weather reports,
gained in strength as it approached the western coast of
Burma. The GOB, which issued a cyclone warning on April 28,
reported that the storm peaked at the equivalent of a
Category Four hurricane, with winds of over 120 miles per
hour.


3. (U) The cyclone made landfall at about 12:00 noon local
time on Saturday April 29 near the village of Gwa, in
southern Rakhine State. The pristine coastline in this area
is sparsely populated. Gwa is located about halfway between
the tourist resort town of Ngapoli, 75 miles to the north,
and the beach towns of Chaungtha and Ngwesaung, 50 miles to
the south. Ngapoli caters to high-end foreign tourists,
while local Burmese and foreign residents in Rangoon frequent
Chaungtha and Ngwesaung. The cyclone arrived on a moderately
busy long holiday weekend.


4. (U) According to local reports, the cyclone weakened
almost immediately upon making landfall. A range of hills
runs down the spine of Rakhine State, which quickly reduced
the cyclone to a tropical storm. By early morning April 30,
the GOB meteorological service had downgraded the storm to an
"unimportant land depression." The impact of the storm on
coastal areas was not immediately known, although local
sources indicated that a ten-foot surf and high winds
destroyed several hotels and homes. Local officials and
hotels evacuated foreign guests over the weekend of April
29-30. There were no reports of serious casualties in
coastal areas.


5. (C) The arrival of Cyclone Mala was preceded by
substantial rain and heavy winds during the night of April
28-29, resulting in severe flooding and damage throughout
Rangoon and Irrawaddy Divisions. The GOB did not immediately
reveal casualty figures, but a senior GOB official at the
meteorological service told us that the storm had killed at
least one Rangoon resident and injured several dozen.
International media reports said that the storm killed two to
four persons.


6. (U) Perhaps the area hardest hit by the storm was Hlaing
Tharyar township, an industrial zone located in the western
suburbs of Rangoon city and straddled by the Hlaing and
Rangoon rivers. Locals describe tornado-like conditions that
severely damaged several hundred homes and at least five
factories, including two garment operations and a soft-drink
plant. Flooding forced several hundred residents to evacuate
the area, including two of the Embassy's local employees who
reside in Hlaing Tharyar.


7. (U) We contacted major hotels in Ngapoli over the weekend
and learned that only a handful of U.S. citizens were in the
area and were preparing to depart the coast prior to the
arrival of the cyclone. We have received no requests for
assistance or reports of Amcits directly affected by the

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cyclone and related storms.


8. (U) We also spoke over the weekend with UN agencies. In
accordance with lessons learned from the 2004 tsunami, key UN
agencies have pre-positioned emergency supplies in Burma.
Representatives from UNDP and UNICEF told us, however, that
as of COB May 1 the GOB had not made any requests for UN
assistance. UN officers plan to meet on May 2 with IFRC and
Myanmar Red Cross representatives to assess overall damage
and assistance needs.


9. (C) Comment: Once again, Burma got a lucky break. The
GOB has frequently demonstrated an inability to quickly
mobilize in response to a natural disaster or other public
emergency. Cyclone Mala was no exception. The GOB's storm
warning was issued late and not widely distributed.
First-responders to scenes of flooding and storm damage were
Burmese Army troops, dispatched to keep order, not to provide
emergency assistance. City workers subsequently labored to
quickly repair downed power lines and restore electricity for
those few residents who receive any. Clearly any major
natural disaster, however, would quickly overwhelm the GOB's
limited capacity to cope. End Comment.
VILLAROSA