Cyclone Murasu hits Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole; thousands moved to safety

Severe cyclonic storm Murasu made landfall on the south Andhra Pradesh coast early Tuesday, crossing near Ongole in Prakasam district at about 1am, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system came ashore between Nellore and Narsapur after tracking across the west-central Bay of Bengal.

Before landfall, the IMD had forecast sustained winds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. It also flagged a storm surge of roughly 1 to 1.5 metres above the astronomical tide in low-lying stretches, including parts of Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts. Heavy to very heavy rain was expected across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, with extremely heavy falls possible in isolated spots.

For a morning-briefing read, the key point is preparedness. Andhra Pradesh had moved around 2,000 people from vulnerable coastal areas and planned to shift about 30,000, as per PTI. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked officials to stay on high alert, and about 31,000 electricity poles were dispatched to speed up restoration if lines were damaged. Authorities also took steps to protect irrigation infrastructure, reservoirs and farmland.

Odisha moved even larger numbers. More than 1.6 lakh people were evacuated from five districts by 6pm Monday, with Ganjam accounting for about 1.5 lakh, and another 1.4 lakh were expected to be relocated, HT has learnt. NDRF, ODRAF and fire service teams were kept ready. Tamil Nadu sent three NDRF teams of 90 personnel and electricity staff numbering 500 to help Andhra Pradesh.

The economic ripple is already visible in travel. At least 30 domestic flights were cancelled Monday across Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Chennai, and nine trains were called off as a precaution. Passengers are advised to check with airlines and the railways for updated schedules.

The larger worry is cumulative damage. Murasu arrives less than a week after Cyclone Arnab hit India's eastern coast, and back-to-back storms raise the risk for crops and infrastructure in areas still recovering. Authorities are now assessing damage to power networks, roads, houses and crops. The IMD has cautioned that rain may continue as the system weakens inland, with Telangana expected to get heavy rainfall and alerts for parts of Tamil Nadu, south Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Source reporting: Hindustan Times.

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