Cyclone Arnab Update: Five Dead, 57,000 Evacuated In Andhra Pradesh

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Over a single Wednesday, the official toll from Cyclone Arnab climbed from none to three to five. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, first said no deaths had been reported. By afternoon, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) put the figure at three. Late in the evening, Naidu confirmed that five people had died.

The cyclone weakened after landfall, but the latest Cyclone Arnab update makes one thing clear: the danger did not end with the wind.

Photo Credit: Chat GPT

Landfall Before Dawn

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, in the early hours of 28 October. Landfall was complete by about 8 am, with sustained winds of 125-135 kmph and gusts of up to 150 kmph.

Soon after, it weakened from a very severe to a severe cyclonic storm over land. The IMD expects it to lose strength further and become a deep depression.

How The Five Lost Their Lives

According to the state's account, the deceased were killed by falling trees, walls and electric poles, and by electrocution. Many of the hazards that cause deaths after a cyclone are the ordinary ones: loose wires, weakened walls, flooded roads.

57,000 In Relief Camps

About 57,000 people were moved to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh. The NDRF deployed 39 teams, four of them airlifted in. Odisha, bracing for the storm's outer bands, had moved 47,830 people from vulnerable areas across eight districts into 466 shelters, with 313 response teams in place.

The Damage On The Ground

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: Due to Cyclone Arnab, 5 persons trapped in a house at Dharmapuri village of Vizianagaram mandal due to inundation were rescued and shifted to safe place on October 28 by Rural CI B. Lakshmana Rao, Rural SI V. Prasad Rao and police staff under the leadership of Vizianagaram DSP S. Lakshmana Murthy.Some houses in Dharmapuri village were inundated due to heavy rains in last two days due to Cyclone Arnab. On receiving information that five persons were trapped in a house, Rural police immediately informed DSP S. Lakshmana Murthy and CI B. Lakshmana Rao. Later, DSP, CI, SI and staff reached the spot. Each person trapped in the house was shifted to safe place with the help of ropes and JCB. Later, barricades were erected to prevent anyone from going into low-lying area till water recedes.(Source: Station House Officer, Vizianagaram Rural PS)

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2026

Kakinada and Konaseema bore the brunt. Hundreds of trees and electric poles were uprooted, cutting power and communications in parts of the region. The Uppada coastal road near Kakinada was badly damaged by waves and erosion. Some places in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts recorded more than 200 mm of rain.

Naidu said coconut and banana crops across about 71,000 hectares were partially or completely damaged. Nearly 180 houses were reported damaged, and more than 35 flights were cancelled or diverted at two airports in the state. Schools and colleges stayed shut for the next couple of days.

Where The Rain Goes Next

#WATCH | Rayagada, Odisha: Rain continues in Rayagada under influence of cyclone Arnab. All departments have been put on alert. District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni says, "In the 24 hours that ended today at 8:30 am, Rayagada recorded 40mm of rainfall, and since then till today in the evening, about 26mm of rainfall has been recorded. So it has been quite lesser than what we had expected. Even now, as the rains have subsided, no major threat exists now. But still we are on high alert...there is a possibility that some rainfall may be recorded in Rayagada..."

— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2026

The system has moved inland, and the focus has shifted north. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Odisha and Jharkhand on 29 October, with an orange alert for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Bargarh. South Bengal is likely to see isolated heavy spells on 28 and 29 October. Schools in six southern Odisha districts are closed through 29 October, and a fishing ban remains in force until the same day.

Residents have been advised to follow official alerts, avoid flooded roads and damaged coastal stretches, and stay in shelters until local authorities say it is safe to return.

Bottomline

Cyclone Arnab's winds have eased, but the figures will keep moving: the death toll, the crop losses, the count of damaged homes. The first official count of none became three, then five, within hours. Until the rain clears and damage surveys are complete, the numbers should be read as a snapshot, and the advice stays simple. Stay put, stay informed, and wait for the all-clear.