VISAKHAPATNAM: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ battered the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Yanam on Wednesday. The storm claimed five lives, left millions without electricity, and flooded tens of thousands of hectares of standing crops. Uncover all details in this article.
Landfall and Meteorological Trajectory
The severe cyclone hit the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, Narsapur and Kakinada. It made landfall around 1:30 am before completing its process by 8 am Wednesday with wind speeds of 125-135 kmph gusting up to 150kmph. Storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 m inundated low lying areas.
Once over the coastline the storm became almost static for part of the day. The storm moved off west-northwest at 5kmph. By Wednesday evening, the IMD said the cyclone was weakening and could become a deep depression overnight.
Casualties and Government Ex Gratia
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told reporters during a news conference at the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) centre in Amaravati, that there had been five cyclone related deaths. Three people in Visakhapatnam had died after falling from heavy branches and power poles. Two others died from electrocution after power lines fell. The chief minister expressed his condolences to those affected and approved of an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh for each family affected.
Agricultural Inundation and Grid Failures
The cyclone caused major damage along the north and central coasts. The cyclone disrupted more than 25 lakh electricity connections and knocked down over 220 large trees onto main roads. Around 6,000 people were deployed to clear the fallen trees and debris.
Naidu has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to send an inter-ministerial Central team to assess the damage caused by the cyclone. Initial reports show that floods submerged 70,900 hectares of paddy fields and damaged 10,450 hectares of horticulture crops. Around 180 houses have suffered damage, mainly in Konaseema.
Agricultural Inundation and Grid Failures
Large scale preventative action meant cyclone deaths were kept to a minimum. Nearly 57,000 people were evacuated by the Andhra Pradesh Government with 609 schools turned into shelters to house those impacted. Over 17,000 young volunteers were mobilised. Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan asked party members to assist with relief operations.
Odisha also took large scale action with over 30,000 people evacuated from vulnerable areas in the south of the state into 2037 shelters. Odisha Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said Malkangiri was the most at-risk area. All 19,143 registered fishing boats had safely returned to shore.
Extreme Rainfall and Flash Flood Alerts
Both states received heavy rainfall, with Kasimkota in Anakapalli district and Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram recording 263 mm each. In southern Odisha, Mahendragarh in Gajapati received nearly 250 mm of rain. The weather office issued Moderate to High flash flood alerts for 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh. Rain is expected to continue across West Bengal and Telangana throughout the week.
Transit Paralysis Across Road, Rail, and Air
Transport was disrupted across the region. Over 55 flights were cancelled across Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada airports, including international routes to Abu Dhabi and Bangkok. Authorities have diverted flights to Bhubaneswar from Hyderabad and Chennai to Raipur. Southern Railways has cancelled or diverted over 22 trains. As a precaution, schools in four southern districts of Jharkhand have also been ordered to close.
The Fragility of Life
The devastation caused by cyclone Arnab in Andhra Pradesh has claimed 5 lives and submerged large areas of crop land, this reminds humans of their fragility. We lose months of hard work in seconds and people lose their loved ones. But have we ever wondered why nature has become so destructive? Why can’t we be fully protected from disasters?
Jagatguru Tatvdarshi Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj tells us that this world (Kaal Brahm) is temporary and everything here is governed by karma. We can never truly feel safe in this world but our true protection is in Satlok.
Can we ever feel safe from the cycle of life, death and suffering with worldly solutions? Real protection is only obtained through real worship:
- Website: www.jagatgururampalji.org
- YouTube: Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj
- Facebook: Spiritual Leader Saint Rampal Ji
- ‘X’ handle: @SaintRampalJiM
