Cyclone Giri center of Giri as it degenerated into a tropical depression. The final advisory from the IMD was issued later that day as the system weakened further. Shortly after Giri was classified a very severe cyclonic storm, warnings were issued for the coastline of Myanmar. Relative to the storm's intensity, preparations were minimal; however, this was because forecasters did not anticipate Giri to strengthen as quickly as it did. The greatest fear of the residents was the aftermath of the storm. There were concerns that the cyclone could cause devastation similar to that of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 which killed
Cyclone Nargis and there have been allegations that government officials stopped updating the death toll after 138,000 to minimize political fallout. The feared 'second wave' of fatalities from disease and lack of relief efforts never materialized. Damage was estimated at over K62,988,000,000 (US$10 billion), which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin. The first named storm of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Nargis developed on 27 April in the central area of Bay of Bengal. Initially, the storm tracked slowly northwestward, and encountering favourable conditions, it quickly strengthened. Dry air weakened the cyclone on 29 April,