Two cyclones in one week ruin crops and boats on Andhra Pradesh coast

Two cyclones that hit the Andhra Pradesh coast within a single week have caused massive damage to coconut trees, paddy fields, and fishing boats in several districts.

The Damage

Cyclones Arnab and Murasu struck the state between October 28 and November 3. The Konaseema district suffered heavy destruction with over 73,500 coconut trees uprooted and paddy crops ruined across 1,18,109 acres, affecting around 88,000 farmers. In West Godavari district, 27,397 coconut trees were destroyed, impacting over 5,000 small and marginal growers. Dozens of fishing boats also became broken or unusable, leaving fishing communities struggling.

Storm Severity

According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, Arnab was a very severe cyclonic storm that brought violent gales of about 150 kmph during its landfall on October 28 and 29. Murasu followed as a severe cyclonic storm, bringing extremely heavy rainfall on November 3 and 4 after making landfall near Ongole. The districts of West Godavari, Konaseema, and Bapatla faced the worst of the ruin, while Guntur, East Godavari, and Palnadu were also affected.

Context

Coastal Andhra Pradesh is historically vulnerable to tropical storms forming in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season. Severe winds and heavy rains frequently devastate local agriculture and fishing livelihoods in low-lying coastal tracts.