(COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh) — Cyclone Mahasan weakened Thursday afternoon into a tropical storm, causing far less damage than had been feared as it passed over coastal Bangladesh and spared Burma almost entirely. At least 18 deaths related to Mahasen were reported in Bangladesh, Burma and Sri Lanka, but officials had prepared for a far greater storm. Bangladesh evacuated 1 million people from coastal areas and the United Nations warned that 8.2 million people could face life-threatening conditions. The cyclone lost power as it shed huge amounts of rainfall and then veered west of its predicted path, sparing major Bangladeshi population areas, including Chittagong and the seaside resort of Cox's Bazar, said Mohammad Shah Alam, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. "Thank God we have been spared this time," local government administrator Ruhul Amin said. The storm's impact in Burma, where officials were having trouble evacuating tens of thousands of displaced Rohingya people, was minimal. "We are out of danger and the impact of the cyclone is almost over. There can be heavy rains in some areas because of the cyclone, but the danger is over," said Tun Lwin, the retired director general of Burma's meteorology department. In Cox's Bazar, tens of thousands of people had fled shanty homes along the coast and packed into cyclone shelters, hotels, schools and government office buildings. But by Thursday afternoon, the sun was shining and Amin said he planned to close the shelters by the evening. The storm's slow movement toward Bangladesh gave the government plenty of warning to get people to safety, Amin said. "But for the evacuation, the casualties would have been higher," he said. In addition, river ferries and boat services were suspended, and scores of factories near the choppy Bay of Bengal were closed. The military said it kept 22 navy ships and 19 Air Force helicopters at the ready. A 1991 cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh from the Bay of Bengal killed an estimated 139,000 people and left millions homeless. In 2008, Burma's southern delta was devastated by Cyclone Nargis,(http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=world.time.com&blog=19871253&post=86693&subd=timeglobalspin&ref=&feed=1)
Via: TIME GlobalSpin