Global storm activity of 2008 from of snow during a two-day period. The poor conditions forced the closure of Interstate 90 in the Black Hills region of western South Dakota. On May 8, dust storms hit Astana in Kazakhstan. 21 people had died in a rural Mongolian blizzard. Parts of the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia were also affected. The Burmese government said that over 60,000 people are dead or missing and about 1,000,000 are homeless. The American embassy to Burma in the area has estimated that about 100,000 died when Cyclone Nargis hit coastal Myanmar on May 8 and 9, 2008. Fifty-four people, including
2008–09 Australian region cyclone season 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season The 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season was a near average tropical cyclone season. It officially started on 1 November 2008, and officially ended on 30 April 2009. This season was also the first time that the BoM implemented a "tropical cyclone year." The regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season"; the "tropical cyclone year" began on 1 July 2008 and ended on 30 June 2009. The scope of the Australian region is limited to all areas south of the equator, east of 90°E and west of