Cyclone Arnab has caused an estimated ₹4,600 crore in losses in Andhra Pradesh and claimed seven lives, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday.
The storm uprooted around 8,000 electric poles in Konaseema, causing widespread disruption. Naidu assured compensation to affected farmers and families. A central government team is expected to visit the state to assess the damage.
In neighbouring Odisha, around 300 villages in Ganjam district have been cut off due to heavy rainfall and flash floods, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said. The state government is coordinating with the Union Home Ministry to arrange aerial evacuations.
Authorities plan to airlift 120 people in the first phase, although persistent rainfall and low cloud cover may delay operations. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force have been deployed in affected areas.
