Cyclone Arnab causes severe damage across Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Arnab updates: Cyclone wreaks havoc in Odisha, over 55,000 evacuated across 9 districts: Andhra Pradesh suffered an estimated loss of ₹4,600 crore due to Cyclone Arnab, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stated after an aerial survey of the Krishna and Godavari regions.

Rescue and Rail Disruptions

The Odisha Government deployed over 300 teams from various disaster response agencies for rescue work in Ganjam and eight other districts. Rail services on the Howrah-Chennai route faced major disruptions after the swollen Bahuda river crossed the danger mark at two railway bridges in Ganjam. A total of 36 trains were cancelled, 30 were diverted, and eight were regulated or rescheduled.

Crop and Power Damage

In Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai instructed district Collectors to survey damaged crops and ensure timely compensation for farmers. State Congress president Deepak Baij demanded a one-time compensation of ₹70,518 an acre for ruined crops. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar reported that the power sector suffered ₹500 crore in damages, with over 1,700 personnel deployed for emergency repairs, supported by additional workers from DISCOMs and Telangana.

Context

Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal frequently trigger heavy rainfall and coastal flooding during the post-monsoon season, heavily impacting infrastructure, power grids, and agriculture across eastern and southern states. Governments typically respond with emergency deployment of disaster response teams and power restoration crews while assessing financial losses for relief distribution.