In brief
On Tuesday, Cyclone Murasu slammed into India’s eastern coast, causing widespread tree loss, power outages and flooding in Andhra Pradesh. Evacuations of about 30,000 people were underway, and the Indian Meteorological Department warned of heavy rain across the region. No deaths or injuries have been confirmed so far.
On Tuesday, Cyclone Murasu made landfall on India’s eastern coast, striking near Ongole in Prakasam district at roughly 1 a.m. local time (19:30 GMT). The storm uprooted thousands of trees, toppled hundreds of power poles and inundated low‑lying areas, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Authorities in Andhra Pradesh began evacuating residents on Monday, moving nearly 30,000 people to safety, said Managing Director Prakhar Jain of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority. – No deaths or injuries have been reported so far.
In Prakasam and Bapatla districts, state media confirmed extensive damage: hundreds of electricity poles were damaged, fishing boats wrecked, and standing crops were hit, leaving many areas underwater. The IMD cautioned that heavy to very heavy rain would continue through the day.
“This is the most dangerous cyclone we have witnessed in the last 14 years,” a fisherman named Krishnamma of Kothapatnam in Prakasam told the Press Trust of India, noting that about 400 families from his village had been moved before the storm struck.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed on X that he had spoken to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu about the situation, promising central government assistance and noting that national and state disaster response teams were already on the ground.
Both the IMD and regional weather agencies forecast that Andhra Pradesh would be hardest hit, with Tamil Nadu to its south also expected to endure heavy rain. The storm extended its impact into Puducherry and Odisha, where similar weather warnings were issued.
Murasu followed Cyclone Arnab, which had struck the same region a week earlier, making this the second major cyclone in quick succession. The back‑to‑back strikes underscore the growing frequency of severe cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal, a region that regularly spawns deadly storms.
Wind speeds were measured at 100‑110 kph (62‑68 mph) during the landfall, according to reports published by Reuters ten hours earlier. The figures place Murasu in the category of severe cyclonic storms on the Indian scale.
There remains uncertainty over the long‑term resilience of infrastructure in the affected districts. While no casualties have been reported, officials are monitoring power restoration, water supply, and road damage as emergency teams assess the damage.
Investigative analyses suggest that the rapid succession of cyclones may strain disaster response resources. Experts from the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority warn that the cumulative impact on agriculture and local economies could be significant, though detailed assessments are still pending.
With the IMD continuing to monitor Murasu’s path, authorities are on standby for potential further rainfall and wind damage, especially in adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
