Source The Hindu
VISAKHAPATNAM — Severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ tore through coastal Andhra Pradesh, leaving at least five dead, triggering widespread inundation, uprooting trees, and severing power networks across multiple districts. As emergency responders scrambled to clear debris and restore critical infrastructure, neighbouring Telangana extended comprehensive operational support to aid post-storm recovery efforts.
The cyclone completed its landfall along the Andhra–Yanam coastline early Wednesday morning, packing sustained wind speeds between 125 and 135 km/h, with gusts clocking up to 150 km/h. Heavy downpours accompanied the gale-force winds, causing flash flooding in low-lying settlements, collapsing dozens of houses, and washing away arterial coastal roadways, including sections along the Uppada stretch.
Local authorities and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reported five fatalities linked to rain-related mishaps, wall collapses, and falling trees. As a precautionary measure, disaster management authorities moved roughly 57,000 residents from vulnerable coastal zones into hundreds of relief camps set up across the state.
Transport networks suffered severe disruption throughout the coastal corridor. More than 50 trains were cancelled or diverted, several flights were suspended, and traffic ground to a halt on major highways blocked by hundreds of fallen trees and downed electric poles.
In response to the crisis, the Telangana government offered emergency assistance to Andhra Pradesh to accelerate restoration operations. Technical crews, specialized disaster equipment, and power restoration teams have been placed on standby to assist the Andhra administration in re-establishing severed electricity grids, clearing blocked transport arteries, and bolstering public health measures in relief centers.
NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and municipal squads remain deployed in key affected pockets, including Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Konaseema districts, working around the clock to restore normalcy as weather conditions gradually begin to stabilize.
