Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts early on Wednesday, killing five people in incidents involving electrocution and a wall collapse, uprooting thousands of trees and electric poles, and damaging roads, according to a report by the PTI.
The very severe cyclonic storm made landfall over a six-hour period between 2 am and 8 am, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to coastal districts before weakening into a severe cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a release.
The cyclone crossed the coast southwest of Yanam, near latitude 16.450 N and longitude 81.90 E, about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada, the IMD said.
According to PTI, hundreds of villages across more than 10 districts, including Eluru, West Godavari and Vizianagaram, bore the brunt of the storm. Several locations recorded rainfall exceeding 200 mm, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting daily life.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said five people had died in cyclone-related incidents. One person died in Visakhapatnam after coming into contact with a live electric wire when a tree fell on it. In rural Visakhapatnam, a woman died after an electric pole fell on her. An uprooted palm tree killed a man in Bhimavaram, while a woman died of electrocution in Anakapalli. Another person died when a wall collapsed in Sakinetipalli, according to the report.
“Despite many efforts, five people died today. We have been telling, some cooperated, some were casual and ventured out and misfortune will strike us,” Naidu said at a press conference at the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) in the state secretariat, PTI reported.
The chief minister said the cyclone had severely disrupted normal life across the state. He announced plans to visit the worst-affected districts, including Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema and West Godavari.
Naidu also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking central assistance and a central team to assess the damage. He briefed Shah on the cyclone’s intensity and its impact on Andhra Pradesh. A preliminary damage assessment will be submitted to the Centre, followed by a comprehensive report, the chief minister said.
Standing paddy crops and horticultural produce suffered extensive damage. Thousands of acres of paddy fields were flattened by strong winds and heavy rain, while coconut plantations and other horticultural crops were also affected, according to PTI.
Nearly 50,000 trees were uprooted in Konaseema and West Godavari districts, Naidu said. In Konaseema alone, 33,000 coconut trees were uprooted, according to a state government press release cited in the PTI report.
A video of a banana farmer attempting to salvage a bunch of bananas from his inundated plantation went viral, the report said.
Rough seas also left a cargo ship stranded off the Antarvedi coast in the Bay of Bengal.
Naidu said the government was prioritising uninterrupted drinking water supplies and sanitation in affected areas. As part of the relief measures, families whose homes were inundated would receive 25 kg of rice, while affected weavers and fishermen would receive 50 kg. The government would also distribute one kilogram each of onions, cooking oil and red gram dal to affected people, he said.
People who took refuge in cyclone shelters would receive financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per person, capped at Rs 3,000 per family, Naidu said. He also announced separate assistance packages for small businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other affected groups.
A decision on the relief measures would be taken at a virtual Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday, he said.
Naidu noted that the state's average rainfall deficit had narrowed from 39 per cent to 27 per cent following the heavy downpour, PTI reported.
The state deployed 30,000 government officials for relief work, the chief minister said. Around 15,000 electric poles had been uprooted. Power supply had been restored in all districts except Konaseema and West Godavari by Wednesday, he said. Bhimavaram, the headquarters of West Godavari district, had been without electricity since Tuesday night.
Naidu directed officials to clear uprooted trees from villages by Wednesday night to restore transport access.
The IMD said rainfall exceeding 200 mm had been recorded at several locations in Anakapalli, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts between 8.30 am on October 27 and 4 am on October 28.
Kannuripalem in Anakapalli recorded the highest rainfall at 261.5 mm, followed by KVBR School in Vizianagaram district at 259.74 mm and the 16th Police Battalion area in Visakhapatnam at 259.06 mm, according to the IMD figures cited in the report.
Heavy rainfall was likely to continue on Thursday due to the cyclone’s impact, state government officials said.
The IMD’s Cyclone Warning Centre issued a moderate-to-high flash flood risk warning for 13 districts until 5.30 am on Thursday. The warning covered Bapatla, Guntur, NTR, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, Kakinada, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Parvathipuram Manyam and West Godavari districts.
(With inputs PTI)