Cyclone Arnab has moved inland, but rain, closed schools, and relief camps remain. Andhra Pradesh counts its damage. Odisha says it met its zero-death aim.
Updated: 29 October 2026, 10:00 IST
Quick Read:
- Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast early on 28 October as a very severe cyclonic storm, with winds of 125–135 kmph.
- NDRF figures cited on 28 October put Andhra Pradesh deaths at 3, houses damaged at 31, and about 57,000 people in relief camps. Other reports give higher death counts — see the flag below.
- Odisha evacuated 43,827 people to 634 relief centres, per its Chief Minister, and says it met its zero-casualty aim in Odisha. Schools stayed shut in 16 Odisha districts and in four Jharkhand districts till 29 October.
This is aftermath, not landfall
This post does not repeat the landfall story. Landfall is over. The storm crossed the coast between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. on 28 October, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It then weakened to a severe cyclonic storm by 8:30 a.m., with winds of 110–120 kmph.
What remains on 29 October is rain, water, power cuts, damaged homes, and closed schools. Restoration is the story now. So is counting the damage honestly, where reports still differ.
Death count: reports conflict — read the flag
The death toll is not settled in the reports checked.
The New Indian Express, citing NDRF official Bundela, reported 3 deaths in Andhra Pradesh on 28 October. It gave details: a 53-year-old man died in Visakhapatnam district on Tuesday night after touching a live wire over a field channel. A 55-year-old woman died on Wednesday morning in Yellamanchili town in Anakapalli district after stepping on an exposed live wire. A newspaper delivery worker, Rambabu, was critically hurt in Bhimavaram after an electric pole fell on his moped. Deccan Herald also reported 3 dead in Andhra Pradesh, citing NDRF.
The Daily Pioneer reported at least 5 dead after landfall. The Indian Express reported at least 7 people reportedly died by falling trees or electrocution, but added that the state government had given no official figures at that point.
This post uses 3 as the NDRF-cited figure in the headline, because it is tied to a named official source and to named incidents. It does not hide the higher reports. Readers should wait for a single official state toll before treating any number as final. Figures may change as district assessments come in.
Andhra Pradesh: camps, houses, and power work
NDRF figures cited by the New Indian Express put the Andhra Pradesh picture like this: 31 houses of various types damaged, about 57,000 people shifted to relief camps, and 38 people evacuated from Yanam on Tuesday night. A total of 39 NDRF teams were deployed across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Telangana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure sanitation and steady drinking water in affected areas, the Indian Express reported. Tankers and generators were arranged for safe drinking water.
Most districts were slowly returning to normal, officials indicated, except Konaseema and West Godavari districts. Those two need closer watch. Restoration work — clearing trees, fixing poles, and restoring power — is the daily task now. People should stay away from fallen power lines and damaged structures, even if rain has eased.
Odisha: a different evacuation number, and why
Odisha evacuation totals also differ by time of report. Both can be true at different hours.
Early on 28 October, Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said more than 30,000 people had been evacuated in Odisha. Later, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said 43,827 people were evacuated to 634 relief centres, with food, water, and medicines. The later figure is the fuller count. The early figure was a mid-operation count while evacuations were still going on.
Odisha kept 2,037 cyclone shelters ready. Eight ministers, including both deputy chief ministers, and seven senior IAS officers camped in affected districts, Majhi said.
Gajapati was the worst-affected among eight districts put on alert, Majhi said. The focus districts were Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Nabarangpur. Malkangiri was flagged as likely to be hit further as the storm moved across Odisha.
Majhi said Odisha met its “zero casualty” aim. That claim is about Odisha, not about the whole storm. It does not cancel the Andhra Pradesh deaths reported above. Trees and poles fell in Odisha, landslides were reported, and roads flooded, but no major casualties were reported in Odisha by the Chief Minister at that review.
Schools and anganwadis in 16 of Odisha’s 30 districts remained closed on Wednesday. Five Odisha districts — Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri — had schools closed through 28 and 29 October in some reports.
Jharkhand and north Chennai: schools and roads
Jharkhand shut schools in four districts till 29 October: Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Simdega. In Ranchi, all government, aided, and private schools suspended classes from kindergarten to Class 12 on 28 and 29 October. The main impact on Jharkhand was expected between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, the Ranchi Meteorological Centre said.
In north Chennai, high waves from the cyclone battered the coast on Tuesday. Waves crossed the rock embankment and spilled onto Ennore Expressway. Police closed the affected stretch and diverted traffic, including toward Thiruvottiyur High Road. Seawater entered parts of Thalankuppam but receded before reaching nearby houses, the New Indian Express reported.
Four Tamil Nadu coastal districts and Greater Chennai Corporation were put on heightened alert. Residents of coastal habitations were moved to safety. People should not gather on coastal rocks for photos during rough seas. Police and revenue staff monitored the stretch.
What to check today
Rain may continue in parts of Andhra Pradesh, southern Odisha, Telangana, and nearby areas as the weakened system moves inland. West Bengal was also forecast to get heavy rain till 31 October in some districts.
Check your district administration notice before sending children to school. Check IMD alerts for your district. Do not touch live wires. Do not drive through flooded roads. If you are in a relief camp, ask camp staff about drinking water, medicines, and the time for return home.
The most useful lesson from Arnab’s aftermath is the gap between early counts and final counts. Early evacuation counts (30,000+) and early death reports (7 reported) both moved as officials checked districts. That is normal in a storm. It is also why this post names the source and time behind each number, instead of printing one clean total that no source supports yet.
Also read: Cyclone Arnab landfall near Yanam
Also read: Cyclone Arnab after landfall: rain moves to Odisha
Also read: Cyclone Arnab, October 27: what was expected
FAQ
Q: How many people died in Cyclone Arnab?
A: NDRF-cited reports put Andhra Pradesh deaths at 3. Other reports put the toll at 5 or at least 7 reported deaths, with no official state figure at that point. Wait for an official state toll as final.
Q: Are schools open on 29 October?
A: Schools stayed shut till 29 October in Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Simdega in Jharkhand, and in several Odisha districts. District notices govern reopening — check your district’s notice.
Q: Is Ennore Expressway open?
A: The affected north Chennai stretch was closed on Tuesday after waves spilled onto the road, with traffic diverted. Check Chennai police or GCC updates before travel, as reopening depends on sea conditions.
Sources: The New Indian Express, 28 Oct 2026; Deccan Herald (PTI), 29 Oct 2026; Indian Express, 28 Oct 2026; DD India (PTI), 28 Oct 2026; Daily Pioneer, 29 Oct 2026.
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