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Cyclone Arnab hits India's east coast, forcing mass evacuations

The storm made landfall in Andhra Pradesh as a very severe cyclone. Officials confirmed three deaths, though figures vary, and tens of thousands of hectares of crops were damaged.

By Newsheir Staff, Newsroom

· 1 min read

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In this article
  1. Casualties
  2. Evacuations and damage
  3. Why evacuations matter
  4. What comes next

Cyclone Arnab struck the coast of Andhra Pradesh in south-eastern India on Wednesday, October 28, bringing strong winds and heavy rain and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

The India Meteorological Department classified Arnab as a very severe cyclonic storm when it made landfall, near Narsapur according to most reports. It weakened to a severe cyclonic storm as it moved inland.

Casualties

India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) confirmed three deaths in Andhra Pradesh. Figures differ, however. The local outlet The South First reported seven deaths across four districts, while a letter from the state's chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, to India's home minister said there had been no human casualties.

Evacuations and damage

More than 55,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh, and more than 180,000 across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha combined, according to reports.

The NDRF said 714 villages in Andhra Pradesh were affected. Naidu's letter reported about 70,900 hectares of crops damaged, at least 180 houses destroyed and 220 trees brought down, and asked the central government to send an assessment team. The NDRF's count of damaged homes was lower.

Power supplies were disrupted in affected areas, some schools were closed, and some train and flight services were cancelled.

Why evacuations matter

India's east coast faces some of the world's most dangerous cyclones, which form over the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal. Earlier storms killed thousands: a cyclone in Andhra Pradesh in 1977 killed about 10,000 people.

Over the past two decades, improved forecasting, early warnings and large-scale evacuations to cyclone shelters have sharply reduced death tolls, even from very powerful storms. That approach appears to have limited casualties again this time, although the damage to crops will hit farming communities hard.

What comes next

Attention now turns to restoring power and transport, assessing crop losses and getting compensation to farmers. The October to December period is the peak of the post-monsoon cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal, so forecasters will be watching for further storms in the coming weeks.

Sources and references

  1. 1.At least three killed, thousands evacuated as cyclone hits India's eastern coast — ABC News (Australia)
  2. 2.India evacuates more than 180,000 as Cyclone Arnab hits coast — NBC News
  3. 3.Cyclone Arnab weakens; three dead in Andhra Pradesh — The Pioneer
  4. 4.Cyclone Arnab Kills Three in Andhra Pradesh as 55,000 Evacuated After Landfall — Outlook India

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