Andhra Pradesh Seeks Central Team as Cyclone Arnab Damages Crops Across 80,000 Hectares

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone 'Arnab' LIVE updates | Three killed in Andhra after landfall near Narsapur; storm weakens: Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts near Narsapur before weakening from a very severe to a severe storm, according to the India Meteorological Department. The landfall wrapped up by 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. At least three people died in cyclone-related incidents across the State, including a man killed by a falling tree in Bhimavaram and two people electrocuted in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. Roughly 57,000 people moved into relief camps.

Crop Damage and Official Relief

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to request a Central team to review the destruction after submitting a report. The initial state figures show paddy crops on 70,900 hectares and horticulture crops on 10,450 hectares either under water or damaged. About 180 houses sustained damage, mostly in Konaseema district, while four Visakhapatnam wards flooded. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan reviewed relief work with district collectors and asked officials to keep the Uppada beach road checked while advising citizens to stay alert for two days.

Transport and Infrastructure Impact

Authorities cancelled 38 flights at Visakhapatnam airport and 17 flights at Vijayawada airport. A cargo vessel carrying sulphur named Sigma Pearl drifted off course and ran aground near Antarvedi after an engine failure. In Visakhapatnam district, Collector Abhishikth Kishore noted that 80% of power and water supply was restored by Wednesday afternoon with help from 150 teams clearing trees. Meanwhile, Machilipatnam recorded over 112 mm of rain, and high tides slowed drainage.

Neighbouring States and Context

Rain spread to West Bengal and Odisha, where authorities evacuated over 30,000 people from low-lying areas. Odisha Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed all 19,143 fishing boats returned to shore.

Context

Severe cyclonic storms bring destructive winds and heavy downpours that routinely disrupt coastal power grids, submerge agricultural land, and halt transport networks. Governments respond to such natural disasters by deploying disaster response forces, setting up temporary relief shelters, and dispatching administrative teams to calculate financial losses for central relief aid.