In brief
In late October 2026, India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh evacuated about 2,000 people and planned to move a further 30,000 ahead of Cyclone Murasu, which is expected to bring winds of 100‑110 km/h. The government deployed six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven state teams to protect power supplies and aid rescue efforts amid a week that began with a deadly storm. Authorities are urging fishermen to stay inland and have closed schools in the region.
Over the past two weeks, the coastline of India’s state of Andhra Pradesh has endured two deadly cyclones, and authorities are now preparing for a third. Cyclone Murasu is projected to hit the coastal town of Ongole late on Monday, with the India Meteorological Department estimating wind speeds of 100 to 110 kilometers per hour, increasing to up to 120 km/h at times. As a result, state officials have begun evacuating residents from low‑lying coastal areas and are planning to move roughly 30,000 people to safer locations.
Already, roughly 2,000 people have been displaced, and the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority has coordinated the evacuation of coastal villages in the districts of Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla and Krishna. The state’s managing director for disaster management, Prakhar Jain, said to Reuters, “We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people.”
Scaling up emergency response
In response to the new threat, the state has deployed six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams across affected districts. Three of the NDRF teams arrived from neighbouring Tamil Nadu to bolster local capacity. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has addressed the situation on X, noting that the cyclone will have a “severe impact” on the same districts.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prepare the power grid for potential damage, expecting between 6,000 and 8,000 electrical poles could be struck during the storm. The warning comes after the previous cyclone caused extensive crop loss and homelessness. The government’s focus on maintaining power supplies is part of a broader strategy to reduce the cascade of climate‑related disruptions that affect vulnerable communities.
Community precautions and mobilization
Local administrations are urging fishermen in the Nellore district to remain onshore, and the district collector, Himanshu Shukla, has ordered officials in coastal towns to keep posts. Schools across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha have been closed to protect students as rain is expected to continue over the region until Wednesday, according to ETV Bharat. The closure of educational institutions denotes a wider commitment to keep children safe during extreme weather events.
"We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people," said Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority.
Anticipating environmental impact
While the meteorological forecasts put Murasu at a less severe intensity than Cyclone Arnab, which struck the same coastline three days earlier and resulted in six deaths and significant damage to homes and crop fields, the authorities are still adopting a precautionary approach. The Kerala Academy of Climate Response has noted that repeated cyclonic activity in a short period can amplify flooding and erosion risks, necessitating streamlined evacuation plans.
In a broader sense, the government's actions underscore the growing interplay between disaster management and sustainable infrastructure. By prioritizing protected power supply infrastructure and deploying rapid response teams, Andhra Pradesh aims to minimize not only human casualties but also the downstream environmental harm that can occur when infrastructure fails.
The latest update from the Ministry of Environment indicated that the Desalination Plant in Nellore has been put into standby mode to ensure a continuous water supply during the cyclone’s arrival, reflecting the state’s growing investment in climate‑resilient utilities.
Environmental officials highlighted that the cumulative effect of two cyclones in a single week can strain local ecosystems. Loss of mangrove habitats, already weakened by preceding storms, is expected to exacerbate the negative impact on coastal fish populations. Fisheries departments have therefore increased drone monitoring in the coastal waters to anticipate shifts in marine life and mitigate collapse.
In sum, Andhra Pradesh’s proactive measures—mass evacuation, deployment of specialized response teams, power grid protection, and community advisories—exemplify a contemporary climate‑adaptation strategy that recognizes the growing volatility of sea‑bound weather events and seeks to protect both people and ecosystems in tandem.
