Cyclone Arnab Nears Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Coasts as Officials Ready Evacuations and Rescue Teams

By Monday evening, Andhra Pradesh had scheduled the start of evacuations along its northern coast. A senior state disaster management official told Reuters that authorities had identified around 570,000 people as vulnerable ahead of Cyclone Arnab, which the India Meteorological Department expects to make landfall near Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, October 28.

The IMD's latest bulletin says the system, which began as a depression over the east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal, has intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab over the east-central and adjoining west-central Bay. The department says it is very likely to move west-northwestwards and strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay by midnight on October 26, and into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region on October 27. After landfall it is expected to move south-westwards, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

In Andhra Pradesh, several districts are on alert for heavy rainfall. Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Manyam and Alluri Sitharama Raju are expected to see heavy downpours. East Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada have been flagged for heavy to very heavy rain, with localised waterlogging possible in vulnerable areas. The state has told fishing boats at sea to return to shore and has ordered swift restoration of electricity if power is disrupted.

Odisha, though it lies north of the projected landfall point, is preparing on a large scale. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari urged people not to panic and to follow the State Relief Commissioner's guidelines. He said priority should go to protecting vulnerable family members and moving them to relief centres if necessary, and that the government's aim is zero casualties. Five senior officers and state ministers have been deployed across vulnerable districts to oversee preparations, and relief centres, cooked food, medicines and healthcare arrangements are in place, he said.

The fire services have laid out the equipment side of that effort. Chief Fire Officer Ramesh Majhi told ANI the department has proposed 225 teams, giving coverage down to block-headquarter level, each with vehicles, including towing and transport vehicles, for a total of 225. The inventory includes 1,510 high-power chainsaws, 25 rescue tenders, 12 plasma cutters and 225 tower lights for work in the evening or at night. Leave for all personnel across the state has been cancelled, he said.

The police and disaster response forces are also in position. Central Range (Cuttack) Inspector General of Police Satyajit Nayak said control rooms have been set up in every district and urged people to contact authorities in an emergency. Four Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams are deployed in each of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Khordha. ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said about 20 ODRAF teams are on the ground, to be deployed in three phases, rising to 60 teams. Older, trained ODRAF personnel are also being brought in, and coordination with the National Disaster Response Force is in place.

Kumar said high-level meetings have been held, including discussions with IMD officials, and that it has been confirmed a major cyclone is expected. The positive side, he said, is that Odisha is fully prepared.

What to watch now is whether the IMD upgrades Arnab to a severe and then very severe cyclonic storm on October 26 and 27 as forecast, and how the evacuation of the 570,000 people identified in Andhra Pradesh proceeds from Monday evening.