Andhra Pradesh reels under Cyclone Murasu as heavy rain floods coastal areas

Cyclone Murasu crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Tuesday, leaving a trail of damage across coastal districts, with thousands of trees uprooted, hundreds of electric poles damaged and fishing boats destroyed.

The severe cyclonic storm crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur, close to Ongole, between 3.30 am and 5.30 am on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It brought sustained winds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph.

Districts including Bapatla and Prakasam experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds, damaging standing crops and inundating several areas. Vehicles were stranded on national highways as poor visibility and adverse weather conditions disrupted traffic, leaving motorists and commuters stuck at several locations.

Fishing communities along the coast also reported damage to their boats. Residents recalled their experiences as the cyclone moved across the coast.

“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 now had to assess the condition of his boats.

Another resident, Mangamma, said she had lost her house during an earlier cyclone but was evacuated by the government before Murasu made landfall.

“I had lost my house in an earlier cyclone, and my family was also 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.

Authorities began evacuating thousands of people on Monday and planned to move around 30,000 people to safety in Andhra Pradesh, which was in the storm’s path. In Kothapatnam, around 400 families were evacuated from one village, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams assisting the operation.

Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said no deaths or injuries had been reported so far, although trees and electric poles had been uprooted.

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

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

The cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal, a major region for tropical cyclones that has produced deadly storms along India’s eastern coast. The IMD forecast that Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, to its south, would be the worst-hit states.

Murasu is the second storm to hit the region in a week. At least six people were killed when Cyclone Arnab, classified by the IMD as a very severe cyclonic storm, made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.