[TIMES]: The storm struck with ferocious power; winds reached 175mph (280km/h). A massive surge burst through the river delta and swamped everything in its path, but it was days before the full scale of the tragedy became known. The Government seemed to be left in a state of paralysis as people fought for survival. This was Hurricane Katrina, which left more than 1,600 people dead in New Orleans in August 2005.

There are remarkable parallels between Katrina and cyclone Nargis, which has devastated the coast of Burma. Both storms were almost exactly the same power, causing similar storm surges through lowlying river deltas. And both regions face seas notorious for spawning huge tropical storms.

Although there were adequate storm warnings for both Katrina and Nargis, there were no evacuation plans or storm shelters for the poorest.

After decades of appalling cyclone disasters, Bangladesh now has an enviable system for preparing for big storms. A network of wardens was established across vulnerable regions to warn local populations of imminent storms, and hundreds of storm shelters built to withstand cyclone winds and storm surges. The work paid off, when, last November, the country was hit by a cyclone even more powerful than Nargis, yet fatalities were far fewer.