How Andhra Pradesh Handled Two Back-to-Back Cyclones, Arnab and Murasu: Lessons in Disaster Management
Andhra Pradesh was hit by two cyclones within about a week. Cyclone Arnab, a very severe cyclonic storm, made landfall near Kakinada and Yanam on 28 October 2026. Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Ongole in Prakasam district on 3 November 2026.
Winds reached up to about 150 kmph. More than 52,000 hectares of crops were destroyed, over 30,000 electric poles fell, and losses were estimated at ₹4,526 crore. Twelve lives were lost, compared with 63 in Cyclone Hudhud (2014), which caused about ₹22,000 crore of damage.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) gave early warning about a week before the first landfall. A central war room run by the State's Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) coordinated the response.
More than 87,000 people were moved to safety within hours. Schools became shelters with community kitchens and a week's stock of food. November rations were handed out early, and affected families got ₹3,000 each. Citizens could report problems on the State's WhatsApp-based governance service.
About 32,000 officials were on cyclone duty, joined by about 1,500 power workers from Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The power blackout was limited to 24 to 36 hours, and all 33 substations in north Andhra worked again within 10 to 12 hours. After Hudhud, restoring power took 7 to 10 days.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force, fire services and police took part, and drones were used to map waterlogged areas.
Tropical Cyclones: Formation, Classification and Naming
A tropical cyclone is a huge, spinning storm that forms over warm tropical seas. At its centre is an area of very low air pressure. Winds rush in towards this centre, spiral upward and bring very strong winds, heavy rain and a rise in sea level near the coast. In India, the east coast faces the most cyclones, especially Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Arnab and Murasu struck during the post-monsoon season, the peak cyclone period for the Bay of Bengal. Andhra Pradesh's low death toll shows how early IMD warnings and quick evacuation now save lives, while the heavy crop and power losses show that damage to property remains the bigger challenge.
Disaster Management Act, 2005
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 is the main law that sets up India's system for dealing with disasters such as floods, earthquakes and cyclones. It created authorities at the national, state and district levels, along with a specialist response force and dedicated funds. Its big shift was from only giving relief after a disaster to planning, preparing and reducing risk before one strikes.
The response to Arnab and Murasu followed the structure this Act created: the State Disaster Management Authority and district administrations led the work, NDRF and SDRF teams carried out rescue, and relief money such as the ₹3,000 per family is drawn from disaster response funds set up under the Act.
- Cyclone Arnab: very severe cyclonic storm; landfall near Kakinada and Yanam on 28 October 2026 (name from Bangladesh)
- Cyclone Murasu: landfall near Ongole, Prakasam district, on 3 November 2026 (name from India; a traditional Tamil drum)
- Peak winds: up to about 150 kmph
- Deaths: 12 (Hudhud 2014: 63); damage: ₹4,526 crore (Hudhud: about ₹22,000 crore)
- Crops lost: over 52,000 hectares; electric poles felled: over 30,000
- People evacuated: over 87,000; relief: ₹3,000 per family; November rations given early
- Power: blackout limited to 24 to 36 hours; 33 north Andhra substations restored in 10 to 12 hours (Hudhud: 7 to 10 days)
- Officials on duty: about 32,000; about 1,500 power workers from Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka