United States Embassy Rangoon, Burma
Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: Cyclone Maarutha
April 16, 2017
There is a cyclone system developing in the Bay of Bengal. The storm is currently expected to make landfall in Burma in the late evening hours of April 16. Rakhine State is expected to receive heavy rains and strong winds which could cause flooding, landslides, power outages, and difficult travel conditions. Increased rainfall levels and winds may be experienced throughout the country. All U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid travel to Rakhine State until the storm has dissipated. U.S. citizens already in those areas should seek secure shelter.
Please check local TV and radio stations for color coded warnings from the Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology: red for storms approaching landfall in Burma, orange for storms moving towards Burma, yellow for developing storms, and brown for current storms.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center and Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) websites have updated storm tracking information.
Additional information on storm preparedness may be found on our Hurricane Season – Know Before You Go webpage.
The Department of Homeland Security’s page has numerous resources on emergency kits, preparing for disasters and developing emergency plans: https://www.ready.gov/.
For information on the resources that the U.S. government can and cannot provide during a crisis, please see our website.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel websitefor the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Burma Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Burma, located at 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, at +95 1 536 509, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +95 (0)95124330, or +95 1 500 547.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
- Follow the State Department on Twitterand Facebook.
