Cyclone Arnab continued to batter Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on Wednesday, flooding villages, submerging the Srikakulam RTC bus stand and disrupting road, bus and electricity services as authorities placed the entire district on high alert.
Torrential rain since Tuesday caused streams, rivulets and drainage channels to overflow across several mandals. Floodwaters inundated roads and low-level crossings, disrupting connectivity to hundreds of villages in Laveru, Ranasthalam, Ponduru and G. Sigadam mandals.
The Srikakulam RTC bus stand was completely submerged, causing severe inconvenience to passengers and interrupting bus services. Several routes were also affected by flooding, while traffic restrictions were imposed on roads considered unsafe for travel.
Pata Kunkam village was among the worst-affected locations, while Venkateswara Colony in Ranasthalam mandal remained waterlogged following incessant rainfall. Strong winds intensified the situation after midnight, bringing daily life to a standstill in several low-lying colonies and disrupting movement on submerged roads.
Large electricity poles collapsed at multiple locations, cutting power supply to villages and urban localities. The coastal belt also turned turbulent as the cyclonic system brought heavy rain and gale-force winds to the district.
The district administration advised residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Officials asked people to contact mandal-level control rooms for medical emergencies and other urgent needs. All educational institutions and Anganwadi centres remained closed on Wednesday, including government, private and aided schools, junior colleges and degree colleges.
District Collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar urged residents living along the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers to remain on high alert for the next five days. He said flood levels were expected to peak on October 28 and 29 because of continued inflows into rivers and reservoirs.
The Collector identified areas near the Narayanapuram anicut, Thotapalli Barrage, Vamsadhara River, Gotta Barrage, Madduvalasa Reservoir and Mahendratanaya River as locations where significant flooding was anticipated. Residents in riverine areas were advised to stay away from riverbanks and avoid approaching swollen waterways until conditions improve.
The Meteorological Department forecast continued cyclone-related weather through Wednesday and Thursday. The district administration said precautionary measures would remain in place as authorities monitored rainfall, river levels, reservoirs, transport routes and vulnerable settlements.
