India evacuates thousands as second cyclone in a week nears east coast
Andhra Pradesh plans to move about 30,000 people before Cyclone Murasu, which is forecast to make landfall near Ongole early on Tuesday.
Authorities began evacuating people along India's eastern coast on Monday, a day before Cyclone Murasu is expected to make landfall in a region still recovering from a deadly storm last week, CNA and The Straits Times reported.
"Around 2,000 people have been evacuated, and the process is continuing. We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people," Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters in a report carried by both outlets.
Murasu is expected to be less intense than Cyclone Arnab, which killed six people and destroyed dozens of houses and crops. NDTV reported that Arnab made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on October 28. Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner, Rajesh P Patil, said the cyclone and subsequent floods had affected 118,000 people in that state, according to NDTV, which also reported that Odisha is bracing for Murasu.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to feel the brunt of the new storm, CNA and The Straits Times reported.
The Hindu reported that Andhra Pradesh has deployed six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams. Krishna, Bapatla, Guntur, Nellore and Prakasam districts have two teams each, while Markapuram, Palnadu and Tirupati have one each. More teams are available if required.
Isolated extremely heavy rainfall was forecast on Monday for parts of Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Markapuram and Nellore districts, according to The Hindu. NTR and Guntur districts declared a holiday on Monday for government and private schools, junior colleges and degree colleges. Residents can report cyclone-related problems through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance service on 95523 00009, or call the Disaster Management Authority on 112, 1070 or 18004250101.
The sources describe the storm's strength at different stages. CNA and The Straits Times called it a severe cyclonic storm, while The Hindu, citing an IMD bulletin issued at 9pm, said it was a cyclonic storm that could become a severe cyclonic storm early on November 2.
That bulletin placed the system over the Southwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal at 5.30pm, about 420 km east-southeast of Chennai and 530 km southeast of Ongole. The IMD forecast landfall close to the Ongole coast in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, with wind speeds of 100 to 120 kmph, The Hindu reported.
Sources: CNA, India evacuates thousands ahead of second cyclone in a week; The Straits Times, India evacuates thousands ahead of second cyclone in a week; NDTV, Odisha Braces For Cyclone Murasu After Cyclone Arnab Leaves 6 Dead; The Hindu, Cyclonic storm Murasu to make landfall close to Ongole.
