Many survivors said they were angry at the country's military leaders for failing to properly warn them of the approaching storm, and for providing virtually no relief in its aftermath.

The few aid agencies that have been allowed into the country following the storm warned that food supplies are running out.

They said a second wave of deaths from disease and starvation may come unless more relief supplies reach the survivors soon.

Despite claims by some that no warnings were received prior to Nargis' arrival, Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology claimed it issued warnings of the storm six days before it struck the country.

The agency said it had received the predicted area of landfall from the World Meteorological Organization's regional cyclone warning center in New Delhi.

Yangon residents confirmed to reporters that cyclone warnings had appeared in local newspapers three days before the event. But some questioned whether many of the victims in rural areas had access to the warnings.

It is unusual for a Bay of Bengal cyclone to strike so far to the south of Bangladesh, and Nargis was the first such storm to hit Myanmar in 40 years. It was also the strongest cyclone on record to ever hit the city of Yangon.

Updated historic material from Wikipedia:

Nargis was the deadliest named cyclone in the North Indian Ocean Basin, as well as the second deadliest named cyclone of all time, behind Typhoon Nina of 1975.

Including unnamed storms like the 1970 Bhola cyclone, Nargis is the 8th deadliest cyclone of all time. But an uncertainty between the deaths caused by Nargis and those caused by other cyclones (like the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone) could put Nargis as 7th deadliest or higher.

Nargis was the first tropical cyclone to strike the country since Cyclone Mala made landfall in 2006, which was slightly stronger, but had a significantly lower impact.

Close-Up Satellite View of Nargis

Cyclone Nargis: Track

Satellite Loop: University of Wisconsin