Two back-to-back cyclones strike Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts
The successive impact of cyclones Arnab and Murasu has caused significant crop damage and fatalities across the eastern coast.
Two powerful cyclones, Arnab and Murasu, recently struck the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, according to a report by Telangana Today. The storms brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to the region, causing widespread panic among millions of people.
Cyclone Arnab, which featured wind gusts of up to 180 km/hr, caused nine reported deaths and inundated approximately 4,50,000 hectares of crops in Coastal Andhra, Konaseema, West Godavari and Kakinada. Initial property losses for Arnab were estimated at Rs 4,800 crore, while 85,000 people were moved to 290 relief centres in Andhra Pradesh.
In Odisha, Arnab triggered floods and landslides in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal, destroying 1,672 houses and marooning over 1,000 villages. The subsequent cyclone, Murasu, recorded wind gusts of 120 km/hr and caused at least two deaths in Bapatla district when buildings collapsed.
Murasu also damaged an additional 52,459 hectares of crops and led to the relocation of more than 12,230 people to rehabilitation centres in Guntur, Bapatla and Palnadu districts. Both storms caused power outages, uprooted trees and led to seawater entering low-lying coastal areas.
Inter-Ministerial Central Teams are currently assessing the damage. State authorities have announced ex gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh per death in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 4 lakh per death in Odisha.