Cyclone Arnab: Roads Washed Away, Homes Devastated, and Three People Killed in Andhra Pradesh

Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh early on Wednesday, uprooted trees and electric poles, damaged homes and roads, and interfered with power supplies in multiple districts, resulting in three fatalities.

According to officials, two individuals, including a 55-year-old woman, perished from electrocution in different events. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) provided early information that did not specify the reason for the third death.

According to NDRF Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela, Andhra Pradesh suffered the most from the storm, with 31 buildings damaged and trees uprooted. On Tuesday night, 38 people were evacuated from Yanam, while about 57,000 people were sent to rescue camps throughout the state.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the very strong cyclonic storm passed over the shores of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam between 2 and 8 am on Wednesday before becoming a severe cyclonic storm.

After getting into contact with a live wire that had broken over an agricultural field channel, a 53-year-old man in the Visakhapatnam area passed away on Tuesday night. In a different incident, a woman in Yellamanchili town in the Anakapalli district died on Wednesday morning after unintentionally treading on an exposed live wire outside her house.

In addition to damaging roads and uprooting trees and electric poles, the cyclone also caused power outages in a number of locations. There was heavy rainfall in coastal districts; some places recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall.

Kakinada Superintendent of Police G Bindu Madhav stated that the district had sustained severe damage from the weather system and that the Uppada coastal road was totally washed away. An ancient bridge in Tadiguda village of Anantagiri mandal in the Alluri Sitaramaraju district washed away, isolating a hamlet. Amit Bardar, the district superintendent of police, stated that restoration work was in progress and alternate arrangements were being made.

“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.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to restore normalcy following the cyclone, emphasising the clearing of blocked roads within two hours and immediate restoration of electricity. He highlighted the importance of providing food, water and medical facilities at cyclone shelters, while also protecting crops and preparing damage estimates.

In Konaseema, winds reached 130 km/h, uprooting trees and prompting the evacuation of over 10,000 people to 495 shelters. In Visakhapatnam, road clearance was progressing, and no major issues were reported in Anakapalli. The NDRF deployed 39 teams across affected states, with significant rainfall recorded, peaking at 261.5 mm in Anakapalli. Continuous rain was anticipated as the cyclone was expected to weaken further.