Cyclone Arnab crosses Andhra coast; damages roads, electric poles

Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, uprooting trees and power poles, damaging roads and disrupting electricity. Two people died from electrocution, while over 10,000 residents were evacuated. Authorities launched relief and restoration operations across affected districts

Amaravati: Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra coast early on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction with uprooted trees and electric poles and damaged roads, while two persons were electrocuted in separate instances, officials said.

The very severe cyclonic storm Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between 2 am- 8 am, before weakening into a severe cyclonic storm, the weather office said.

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“The cyclone crossed the Andhra Pradesh & Yanam coasts to the Southwest of Yanam near latitude 16.450 N and 81.90 E, about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an official release.

Many parts of coastal districts received heavy rainfall, some of them in excess of 200 mm.

In its wake, Cyclone Arnab left a trail of destruction, uprooting several trees and power poles, leading to power outages in several areas. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to restore normalcy at the earliest in the affected districts.

Two people, including a 55-year-old woman, died of electrocution in separate incidents during Cyclone Arnab, officials said.

A senior district official said a 53-year-old man died on Tuesday night in Visakhapatnam district after coming into contact with a live wire that snapped over an agricultural field channel.

In the second incident, a woman died after accidentally stepping on an exposed live wire outside her home in Yellamanchili town in Anakapalli district on Wednesday morning, police said.

CM Naidu reviewed the situation on Wednesday mornig and directed officials to restore normalcy at the earliest.

Speaking during a teleconference with 32,000 personnel, including district collectors, he also directed officials to minimise property damage.

The CM instructed officials to clear roads blocked by fallen trees within two hours and ensure immediate removal of trees obstructing national highways. Also, he directed them to restore electricity supply in affected areas once strong winds subsided.

Naidu stressed the need to provide adequate food, drinking water and medical facilities at cyclone shelters and asked officials to prevent water from entering agricultural fields, protect horticultural crops and take measures to prevent breaches in tanks and canals.

The CM asked them to prepare preliminary estimates of crop damage and keep National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel on standby.

Kakinada Superintendent of Police (SP) G Bindu Madhav said the weather system had “significantly” affected the district.

“Cyclone Arnab had significantly affected the district, uprooting a few hundred trees and fewer than 100 electric poles. However, no major damage has been reported and rainfall subsided after 1 am,” he said.

Madhav said people were evacuated to relief camps as a precautionary measure and remained there due to the strong winds and roar of the storm till 1 am on Wednesday.

The Uppada road, running along the coast, has been completely washed away, he said, adding that rainfall was relatively low in the district with gusty winds causing the main impact.

Alluri Sitaramaraju district SP Amit Bardar said the cyclone had limited impact on the district, as of 9 am. Trees and electric poles were uprooted and some roads inundated.

“No loss of life or major damage to infrastructure, houses or livestock has been reported so far. We are monitoring the situation closely as water levels may rise due to continued rainfall,” Bardar told PTI.

An old bridge in Tadiguda village of Anantagiri mandal was washed away, isolating a hamlet, said the SP, adding that alternative arrangements were being made and restoration work was underway.

Konaseema district police chief Rahul Meena said gusty winds reaching up 130 kmph had uprooted trees and electric poles across the district late on Tuesday night. No casualties or property damage had been reported.

Fallen trees and electric poles had blocked roads and disrupted power supply, he said, adding that power supply was expected to be restored by within few hours, while major highways would be cleared within two to three hours.

More than 10,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to shelters, according to his preliminary information. Around 495 cyclone shelters and temporary relief centres had been set up, he added.

Additional Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP) platoons had also been deployed for clearance operations and other tasks, he said, adding that personnel from various departments were working continuously to restore normalcy by evening.

Anakapalli district SP Tuhin Sinha said no major issues had been reported in the district.

In Visakhapatnam, District Collector M Abhishikth Kishore said around 400 trees had fallen across the district due to Cyclone Arnab, with Roads and Building (R&B) and Greater Vishakapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) teams undertaking clearance operations.

Most roads have been cleared for traffic, while work to remove remaining fallen trees is underway, he said, adding that electricity restoration and road clearance remain priorities following the cyclone’s impact.

“About 100 families are currently staying at two relief centres while few others have returned to their homes. No inundation has been reported anywhere in the district,” Kishore told PTI.

Meanwhile, rainfall exceeding 200 mm was recorded at several locations in Anakapalli, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts between 8.30 am on October 27 and 4 am on October 28, the IMD said.

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 state government officials, heavy rainfall was likely to continue on Wednesday and Thursday due to the cyclone’s impact.