Cyclone Arnab is tightening its grip on Andhra Pradesh, moving across the Bay of Bengal and poised to strike near Yanam on Wednesday. 215 km from Visakhapatnam, the storm has already dumped heavy rain on Kakinada’s Uppada and Srikakulam, with gusts topping 80 km/h. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) warns that rainfall could surge across the north coast in the coming hours.
In a flurry of mobilization, the state has dispatched 12 National Disaster Response Force teams and 10 State Disaster Response Force squads to 14 districts, and set up 2,131 cyclone shelters. 2.70 crore mobile phones received alerts, while 30,043 fishing vessels were ordered to stay off the sea. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, IT Minister N. Lokesh and Home Minister V. Anitha are coordinating the effort from the capital.
Medical and logistical prep is underway: 1,087 medical teams, 8,281 emergency beds, 1,274 ambulances, and 21,536 doses of anti‑snake venom are on standby. Water supplies are bolstered with 2,613 tankers, 2,430 generators and 4,448 reverse‑osmosis plants, while 14,686 ration shops stock two months of essentials. Hospitals already shifted 1,351 pregnant women to safer wards.
The storm also threatens livelihoods: 35.96 lakh farmers are being advised to protect crops, and 419 tribal hostels plus 88,083 students are under protective arrangements. Roads and Buildings Department has readied 550 JCBs and 596 electric saws for post‑storm clearance. The Real‑Time Governance Society and APSDMA are monitoring the situation round the clock, feeding district administrations with live updates.