Twin cyclone leave livelihoods in tatters

For generations, coconut trees have been more than just crops for the people in the coastal districts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, and West Godavari. They have been their livelihood. However, two cyclones that hit the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh within the span of a week have left the coconut growers, farmers and fishing communities in the region staring down the barrel as thousands of coconut trees were flattened, lakhs of acres of paddy fields were wiped out, and dozens of boats became dysfunctional. Konaseema district has witnessed the swath of destruction, with over 73,500 coconut trees uprooted and paddy destroyed across 1,18,109 acres, leaving around 88,000 farmers in tatters. Meanwhile, in West Godavari district, 27,397 coconut trees were destroyed, affecting more than 5,000 small and marginal growers.

Andhra Pradesh was ravaged by two cyclones between October 28 and November 3. One was a ‘Very Severe’ Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Arnab and the other, a ‘Severe’ Cyclonic Storm (SCS) Murasu, leaving the districts of West Godavari, Konaseema, and Bapatla in ruins, while Guntur, East Godavari and Palnadu were also affected, according to the A.P. State Disaster Management Authority. Coastal areas in two districts of West Godavari and Konaseema were ravaged by violent gales of around 150 kmph at the time of Arnab’s landfall on October 28 and 29, and suffered once again when extremely heavy rainfall pounded the districts on November 3 and 4 after Murasu made landfall near Ongole.

In an announcement, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu put together the economic losses at approximately ₹6,500 crore, even as the officials are still preparing the overall State report on the trail of destruction the twin cyclones left behind. Besides property losses, at least 20 cyclone-related deaths were reported.

‘No household left untouched’

“Not a single household in the mandal [Mogalturu] was left untouched by the cyclones,” says Tirumani Srinivas, a coconut grower and a fisherman at Perupalem.The Hinduvisited seven villages of Mogalturu and Narsapur mandals of West Godavari district, and every narrow road bore the marks of the disaster. Srinivas cultivates coconut trees in four acres, and around 50 trees of the total 300-400 trees growing in his land fell to the ground due to the gales. Every household grows at least 50 trees on average, and everyone has lost at least 10-15% of their crop, he says. “Our lives are built around these trees, and the very foundation has now been shaken,” he says.

Perupalem, populated by a fisherfolk community and coconut and casuarina cultivators, has more coconut trees than households. Locals say the entire stretch between Mogaltur mandal and Odalarevu, another coastal town in Konaseema, has borne the brunt of the cyclone impact. The people of Perupalem had never seen a calamity of this magnitude. “Even during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the damage was not this much,” says a daily wager, Samba Murthy, whose house stands without a roof today.

Built around 25 years ago, the house, covered with a tiled roof, was damaged during the night of the cyclone’s landfall. According to information from the Mandal Revenue Officer, 2,670 houses were partially or fully damaged in Mogaltur. But his family of four had shifted to another place by evening, when winds gained speed. Now, he lives in a rented house, paying ₹2,000. But the going is getting difficult for him. It has been 15 days since he found work.

Treacherous road to normalcy

The path to normalcy is riddled with challenges. The coconut growers say it will take around ten years and consistent care to help grow a tree to its usual height. The government pays ₹1,500 per tree towards compensation. But the growers say it barely scratches the surface.

“A tree never ages. It keeps bearing fruit every 40 days. How can ₹1,500 be enough?” says Nageswara Rao of Mollaparu, who lost around 100 trees due to the impact of the cyclones. He has suffered a loss of ₹4-5 lakh. According to information from the district officials, none of these coconut growers opted for any crop insurance, despite low premiums. A single coconut tree is a source of livelihood to more than three persons, including the growers, the labourers who harvest the tree, those who load them onto trucks for bigger markets, and those who make a living by selling fronds. All these people are staring at losses, Nageswara Rao and Srinivas explain.

The flagstaff at the ancient Shiva temple atop a hill in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, lies uprooted after strong winds caused by Cyclone Murasu on Tuesday.

Palm trees bend amid strong winds and heavy rain as Cyclone Murasu hits the coastal town of Chirala, in Bapatla district, Andhra Pradesh.

Pushcarts and shop nameboards lie scattered along Kothapatnam Beach Road in Ongole after being blown away by strong winds and rain triggered by Cyclone Murasu since Monday night.

A man struggles to cross a road amid strong winds in Ongole

A tree fell across Dreams School Road in Ongole.

An overturned fishing boat lies on the shore amid debris in Visakhapatnam.

A view of uprooted trees following Cyclone Murasu in Bapatla on Tuesday.

In this image posted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, rescue and restoration operations gets under way in the wake of Cyclone Murasu in Andhra Pradesh.

Fishing boats remain stationed at Kasimedu fishing harbour as Cyclone Murasu affects the coastal area, in Chennai on November 2, 2026..

A view of rough sea waves at the shore following the impact of severe Cyclonic storm Murasu, in Chennai.

Fishermen move their nets to a safer place as the sea turns turbulent with high waves ahead of Cyclone Murasu at Pallepalem coast near Kothapatnam on November 2, 2026.

Commuters waiting to board buses amid rain at Koyambedu Bus Terminus in Chennai.

Fisheries Department officials rescue seven fishermen whose boat was caught in rough seas near Juvvaladinne village in SPSR Nellore district on Monday.

A high wave crashes against rocks at the beach in Visakhapatnam.

Rough seas, high waves and gusty winds prevail along the Kothapatnam coast near Ongole after Cyclone Murasu makes landfall in the area, in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh.

Rough seas, high waves and gusty winds prevail along the Kothapatnam coast near Ongole after Cyclone Murasu makes landfall in the area, in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh.

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Plight of fishing community

Belonging to the economically weaker sections and dependent solely on fishing, around 20 people at a government school in Dibbalapallipalem village of West Godavari district that has been converted into a cyclone shelter say they have had no work since the cyclone struck the coast. In the village, which is home to 200 families, every couple goes for fishing in a nearby stream, Kunteru. That day, despite warnings, many went fishing.

They say, in unison, that till around 6 p.m., a sense of calm prevailed at the sea. The weather was steady and encouraging, making many wonder if the warnings about a ‘big’ cyclone crossing the coast near their place were true.

“We get anywhere between ₹500 and ₹1,000 a day by selling the catch, which is either fish or crab. We could not afford to lose a day’s savings,” Mamudlamma, a resident, says. She adds that they left the boats, as usual, tied to wooden logs. The next morning, they were all in a shambles. “We never saw or heard of such a destruction,” another fisherwoman, Lakshmi, says, adding that they would have been more careful had they understood the severity.

Deprived of their only source of income and amid growing debts, the fishing community in the village are surviving on the rice and pulses being given by the State government. “It will take a minimum of ₹60,000 to have a new boat built. And the work may take up to 15 days. We do not have that kind of money,” a fisherwoman, Lakshmi from the village, says. Even if they did manage to get some money, they may need four years to repay this amount.

A central team led by Joint Secretary to Home Ministry Chittaranjan Das inspecting damaged fishing boats at Antarvedi fish landing point in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

What was different this time?

There is a general belief here that it was only in 1969 that something of this magnitude struck the coast. “During the tsunami, we did not see gales. This time, the strong winds, which began around 6.30 p.m. on October 28, continued till noon the next day, forcing us to stay indoors,” says Lakshmi. Tropical cyclones are not new to Andhra Pradesh. Various studies point out that 80% of the cyclones affecting the country have originated over the Bay of Bengal, due to favourable Cyclogenesis factors, including sea surface temperatures. “The Bay is warmer than the Arabian Sea, because when many rivers pour into the Bay, it leads to stratification, which is what keeps the surface waters warm,” explains Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department.

As a result, the eastern coast, comprising the States of Tamil Nadu, A.P., Odisha, and West Bengal, sees frequent tropical cyclones. According to the IMD, most of the tropical cyclones forming over the Bay in October make landfall near the Odisha-West Bengal coast, the November ones make landfall near the A.P. coast, and the December ones near the Tamil Nadu coast.

From 1970 till date, at least 63 cyclonic storms, including Arnab and Murasu, have affected the A.P. coast. But this time, it was different. For the fourth time, a tropical cyclone crossed the State’s coast as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) during this period.

The previous ones were in 1999, 2014 (Hudhud) and 2018 (Titli). It was after a long time that the State experienced two cyclones within a span of a week. A similar situation was last seen in the year 2013, when two cyclones, Helen, a Severe Cyclonic Storm and Lehar, a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm that later weakened into a depression, battered the A.P. coast between November 22 and 28. And before that, it was in 1987 and 1976.

“Two cyclones in a week is a rare phenomenon, but not new,” Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra says, citing the previous ones. “We have come a long way in grappling with the impact of the cyclones. There was a time when thousands of people were getting killed. However, with advanced technology, improved forecasting, and early warning systems, we can minimise the damage since the governments get enough time to prepare,” he says, adding that more focus should be on building climate-resilient infrastructure.

Role of climate change

Researchers at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, found that climate change increased the maximum wind speed by 5% and eyewall rain by 11%. About 25% of the economic damage can be attributed to climate change, they say. The researchers estimated that share of climate change in the intensity of Arnab was about 16%. Elaborating on how exactly it exacerbated the situation, Ralf Toumi, Director of the institute, says: “Climate change can modify the conditions that initiate the storms, including the organisation of thunderstorms. More directly, a warmer ocean surface drives the intensity through more rainfall in the eyewall,” the professor says.

Explaining the increased wind speed, the professor says climate change can make the ocean warmer, causing more evaporation and more atmospheric moisture, which acts as a catalyst to intensify the storm.

In 2023, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) prepared cyclone hazard proneness of districts in the country, based on frequency of total cyclones, total severe cyclones, actual/estimated maximum wind strength, and other parameters. Of 100 districts, most of which fall on the eastern coast, 12 are classified as ‘very highly prone’. Of these, three are in A.P., and they are the composite districts of Krishna, East Godavari and Nellore. The districts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, West Godavari, Prakasam and Vizianagaram are highly prone.