"We hear speakers warning us about the cyclone, but we are still afraid, " said Ba Kyi, a Muslim community worker at a clinic in Sittwe.

WSJ: Cyclone Threatens Bangladesh, Myanmar

Its early warning system was also bolstered following Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Aila in 2009, which killed a total of 4, 300 people.

WSJ: Cyclone Mahasen Hits Myanmar, Bangladesh