Hyderabad, Nov 3:
Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu completed its landfall process along the south Andhra Pradesh coastline in the early hours of Tuesday, slamming into coastal belts near Kothapatnam close to Ongole in Prakasam district.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the storm crossed the coast between Nellore and Narasapur between 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM, unleashing intense torrential downpours and fierce gale-force winds gusting between 100 and 120 kmph.
The severe weather system caused widespread disruption across the coastal districts of Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, and Krishna, uprooting hundreds of large trees and damaging roadside structures. Low-lying neighbourhoods and agricultural fields in coastal mandals experienced severe inundation as stormwater accumulated rapidly, prompting district administrations to operate high-capacity pump sets to clear flooded transit corridors.
Despite the intensity of the storm and widespread water stagnation, electricity department authorities stated that distribution infrastructure largely held firm, with power poles withstanding the initial impact and preventing large-scale grid breakdowns across the major affected sectors. Precautionary transport measures remained active throughout the night, with railways cancelling several regional train services and airlines suspending flights across Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati.
Disaster management teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed across Prakasam and Bapatla to clear blocked arterial highways and assist stranded residents.
The IMD indicated that while the cyclone has started moving inland and is forecast to gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm and subsequent deep depression by the afternoon, heavy to very heavy rainfall alerts will remain in effect across coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, and adjoining interior regions.