Cyclone Arnab weakened after hitting the coast, and the government sent four more NDRF teams to Andhra Pradesh. Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela said, “Currently, through the coordination between the state and central governments, NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed on the ground.” Officials are now managing relief efforts.
Cyclone Arnab has weakened after entering the landmass and is expected to further lose intensity by Wednesday evening, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela said, adding that four additional NDRF teams were deployed to Andhra Pradesh as part of disaster response preparations.
The Government of India, with the assistance of the NDRF and the defense forces, deployed four additional NDRF teams to Andhra Pradesh last night, anticipating that it would be the most severely impacted state. These teams were transported via Indian Air Force aircraft.
Bundela said NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other district-level response teams were actively engaged in operations across their respective areas.He asserted, “Currently, through the coordination between the state and central governments, NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed on the ground. The state government has deployed a total of 80 SDRF teams" He also shared details of the evacuation efforts carried out in Yanam, where people were stranded due to rainfall, and said information on losses and damage was being periodically released by the state government.
He added, "Along with the SDRF, the NDRF, and various district-level departmental forces capable of providing assistance, all are actively engaged in operations within their respective areas. As of yesterday evening, the NDRF had evacuated 38 people in Yanam, where some individuals had become stranded due to the rain. The state government is also periodically sharing information regarding losses and damages through the State Emergency Operation Center; this information is available for public viewing on the website."
Meanwhile, very severe cyclonic storm Arnab completed its landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, southwest of Yanam, by 8 am on Wednesday, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts up to 150 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In a post on X, the IMD said the cyclone crossed the coast between 2 am and 8 am on October 28, with its centre moving completely over land by 8 am.
The weather agency said the system was centred over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and the adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal at 8:30 am, around 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam, 60 km southwest of Kakinada, 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam, 120 km east of Gannavaram and 120 km southwest of Tuni.
The Andhra Pradesh government has been placed on high alert in view of Cyclone Arnab, with the state administration working round the clock to safeguard lives and minimise property damage, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated on Wednesday.No loss of life has been reported so far. High-intensity sea waves and severe coastal erosion caused by the cyclone led to damage along the Uppada coastal road near Kakinada. Restoration and repair works have already commenced in the area to restore connectivity and safeguard the coastline.