In brief
Cyclone Murasu struck Andhra Pradesh’s coast early Monday, uprooting trees and flooding low‑lying areas. Authorities evacuated roughly 30,000 people and are delivering relief amid the second cyclone in a week. The storm is the most dangerous seen in 14 years, with heavy rain forecast across neighbouring districts.
Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Ongole in Prakasam district on the eastern coast of India at about 1 a.m. local time, Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department. The storm uprooted trees, toppled electricity poles, and flooded low‑lying parts of Andhra Pradesh.
The government has evacuated around 30,000 people, moving them to safer grounds as flood waters rise. This is the second cyclone to strike the region in a week, following Cyclone Arnab.
No deaths or injuries have been reported so far, Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters. He added that trees and power poles were brought down during the storm.
Reports from the Press Trust of India describe extensive damage: thousands of trees felled, hundreds of power poles broken, fishing boats wrecked, and standing crops destroyed. Many areas are already underwater.
Krishnamma, a fisherman from Kothapatnam in Prakasam district, said about 400 families from his village had been moved out before the storm hit. He called the cyclone the most dangerous in the past 14 years.
The Indian Home Minister, Amit Shah, posted on X that he had spoken with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu about Murasu’s impact. He assured the state chief minister that the Central Government would provide full assistance and support.
National and state disaster response teams are already on the ground. Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for several districts across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Odisha, according to the IMD’s warnings.
Surrounding areas are experiencing the worst floods and turmoil in the past decade, with communities navigating the aftermath of two successive cyclones in quick succession.
