Cyclone Murasu batters Andhra Pradesh, wrecks boats and crops; Odisha stays on high alert

Over 1.60 lakh people move to shelters as landslide fears persist; IMD forecasts further heavy rainfall along the southeastern coast

Severe cyclonic storm Murasu uprooted thousands of trees, damaged hundreds of electric poles and wrecked fishing boats as it crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Tuesday, while neighbouring Odisha remained on high alert for heavy rain and landslides.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur, close to Ongole, between 3.30 am and 5.30 am, with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.

Bapatla and Prakasam districts witnessed heavy rainfall and gusty winds that damaged standing crops and inundated several areas. Vehicles were stranded on national highways as poor visibility and adverse weather disrupted traffic.

Residents of coastal villages recounted damage to their homes and livelihoods, even as evacuations helped move families to safety before landfall.

"This is the most dangerous cyclone we have witnessed in the last 14 years. The government has been very helpful and evacuated around 400 families from our village. NDRF teams also helped us shift to safer places," Krishnamma, a fisherman from Kothapatnam in Prakasam district, told PTI.

He said he still had to check the condition of his boats.

Another resident, Mangamma, said an earlier cyclone had destroyed her house and left her family shattered.

"This time, the government evacuated us before the cyclone made the landfall. However, one of my three boats has been completely destroyed. Fishing is our livelihood," she said.

In neighbouring Odisha, southern districts received light rainfall as the cyclone crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast. The state government asked collectors across the region to remain prepared for adverse weather.

Odisha disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said collectors of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and several other districts had reported light rainfall.

"We hope the situation will not be adverse," he said.

Pujari said landslides remained a major concern, particularly in hilly areas.

"We are on high alert, and the people of the hilly terrain will remain in shelters for some time, keeping in view of the weather conditions," he said.

The Odisha government shifted more than 1.60 lakh people to safety and deployed disaster response teams in five southern districts following an IMD forecast of heavy rain and gusty winds.

The IMD said Murasu was likely to weaken into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday noon and further into a deep depression by midnight.

It forecast light to moderate rainfall at most places in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, with heavy to very heavy showers at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations.