Cyclone Arnab landfall continues along Andhra coast, 4 rescued from floodwaters

The landfall process of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab continued along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, with the storm's centre remaining close to the coastline, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The northern spiral band of the cyclone had moved further inland, and the landfall process was expected to continue for another three hours.The cyclone was located over the west-central Bay of Bengal, near latitude 16.4 degrees north and longitude 82.0 degrees east, around 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam, 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam.According to the IMD, the storm was likely to continue moving northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam. The cyclone was expected to bring maximum sustained winds of up to 135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph, during the next three hours.Heavy rainfall and strong winds battered several parts of Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema districts as the cyclone moved towards the coast. District collectors in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari also reported heavy rainfall and strong winds, with trees uprooted at several locations. In Kakinada, police rescued four people who were stranded in floodwaters near the Bombay Katta area after heavy rain and seawater inundated the locality. The four people had left for work in the morning but remained stranded until night after floodwaters completely surrounded their accommodation, leaving them unable to get out.After receiving information about their situation, police launched a rescue operation and safely evacuated all four people. They were helped into a vehicle and sent back to their homes, according to a district police press release. Meanwhile, three people were reported stranded at the Central Water Commission (CWC) godowns in Kakinada Anchorage Port after floodwater and seawater entered the premises. The facility also experienced a complete power outage, leaving night-shift personnel unable to leave the premises.The operations team and personnel associated with the LPA were also unable to exit the facility because of the surrounding floodwaters, police said.G Raju, an employee of a private company, said he was stranded while working the afternoon shift when Cyclone Arnab hit the area. He said the rescue team eventually reached the premises and brought them to safety.Similarly, C Durga Prasad, a resident of Nadakuduru, said he was caught in floodwaters while travelling towards the Kakinada bus stop amid the cyclone. He thanked the police for responding to information provided by local residents and rescuing those stranded.Police advised residents not to venture outdoors unless absolutely necessary and warned them to stay away from flood-affected areas. People trapped in dangerous situations or requiring emergency assistance were asked to contact Dial 112 or the Kakinada Police Control Room.- Ends