Cyclone Arnab wreaks havoc at Odalarevu fishing villager, over 100 boats destroyed

Fierce winds and heavy rain battered India's southeastern coastline as Cyclone Arnab made landfall on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 100,000 residents in two states, according to authorities. The storm hit Andhra Pradesh as a very severe cyclonic storm, boasting winds of 125-135 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 150 kph, reported the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is still interacting with the land surface along the coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, the IMD stated. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha urged thousands to move inland or seek shelter ahead of the storm, while neighboring Sri Lanka and Nepal issued weather warnings as well.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh emphasized that protecting every life was their top priority as the storm approached the coast. Authorities announced that around 50,000 people were told to relocate to safer areas in Andhra Pradesh, and 48,000 in Odisha. The Indian weather bureau warned of total destruction of thatched houses, localized flooding, uprooted power and communication poles, and widespread damage to standing crops.

Over 12 million people reside in the cyclone's projected path, according to the state's disaster management authority.

In anticipation of the storm, over 2,000 cyclone shelters were established in 20 districts, and emergency alerts were disseminated to millions of residents via their mobile phones, said Prakhar Jain, head of the Andra Pradesh state disaster management authority. Additionally, more than 30,000 fishing boats were secured along the coast, and nearly 1,100 medical teams were deployed across affected regions to provide emergency assistance.