3 killed, 31 houses damaged as Cyclone Arnab batters Andhra
What's the story
Cyclone Arnab has wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh, killing three people and damaging 31 houses. Two of them were electrocuted in separate instances, officials said. The severe cyclonic storm made landfall near Yanam, Puducherry, early Wednesday. It has since weakened from a very serious cyclonic storm to a severe one and is expected to further weaken into a cyclonic storm by evening.
Officials
No serious impact in Odisha
"North of Andhra Pradesh and the southern part of Odisha have been the most affected due to Cyclone Arnab. Strong winds and rainfall are being witnessed in a few districts of the two states," NDRF Inspector General (IG) Narendra Singh said.
"...we have been informed that trees have been uprooted, 31 houses of various types have been damaged and three persons have been killed."
"There has not been a serious impact in Odisha as per preliminary reports," he said.
Relief efforts
NDRF deploys 39 teams in several states
The NDRF has deployed 39 teams in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Telangana, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Four more teams were sent to Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night.
Around 57,000 people have been shifted to relief camps in the state, with 38 evacuated from Yanam.
The storm also caused widespread damage in the Yanam region.
Standing crops in paddy fields were inundated, while fishermen lost large stocks of dried fish stored in Fish Drying Platforms on the coast.
Coastal damage
Coastal Kakinada, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema worst affected regions
During landfall, strong winds blew at speeds ranging from 125 to 135 kilometers per hour, occasionally reaching 150 kilometers per hour.
Visakhapatnam recorded the highest rainfall, with 200.20mm reported by midnight on Tuesday, while Kothavalasa in Vizianagaram district received 162.75mm.
Waves along the coast surged to heights of five to eight meters.
A protective wall at Kothapatnam near Uppada was severely damaged by the waves.