On Monday (Nov 2) authorities in India began moving approximately 2,000 residents from low‑lying areas along the eastern coast ahead of the expected landfall of Cyclone Murasu. The move comes a day before the storm is forecast to hit the southeast, in a region still reeling from last week’s Cyclone Arnab that killed six people and devastated dozens of homes and crops. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said the evacuation is part of a larger plan that could see around 30,000 people displaced in the next 24 hours. The region, which includes the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, has seen a series of deadly tropical cyclones over the past year.
Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters on Monday:
Around 2,000 people have been evacuated, and the process is continuing. We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to strike the coast in the early hours of Tuesday. The department warned that Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh would feel the brunt of the storm, which is projected to be less intense than last week’s catastrophe. Officials are urging residents to heed evacuation orders and prepare for heavy winds, waves and possible flooding. The authorities have set up emergency shelters and are deploying additional resources to support displaced families.
