India

Explained: Why do deaths after a cyclone often come from electrocution and falling trees?

Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on October 28 and weakened over land; deaths are reported as two, three or seven depending on the source, with crops hit on about 70,900 hectares and more than 28,000 people moved to shelters.

By Ankita Published: 29 October 2026, 5:55 am · 2 min read

Explained: Why do deaths after a cyclone often come from electrocution and falling trees? — Satellite image of a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal in 2023 (file image, not Cyclone Arnab), CIRA/NOAA via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

After a cyclone passes, snapped wires and uprooted poles can leave live electricity in water and on the ground.

Strong winds also bring down trees and poles.

After Cyclone Arnab, two deaths by electrocution were reported by The Week.

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About 6,000 poles were uprooted in Konaseema alone.

Residents are advised to avoid fallen wires and flooded areas.

The Week reports two deaths by electrocution in separate incidents, a man on Tuesday night who touched a snapped live wire and a woman on Wednesday morning in Yellamanchili who stepped on an exposed live wire.

The South First counted seven deaths across Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Konaseema and Anakapalli districts, but the state had not issued a consolidated toll, according to the Daily Pioneer.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s letter said the cyclone caused no human casualties, which conflicts with the NDRF’s confirmation, according to the Daily Pioneer.

The NDRF confirmed damage to 31 houses, and the Chief Minister said about 180 houses were hit, mostly in Konaseema district, according to the Daily Pioneer.

The Chief Minister put crop damage at about 70,900 hectares, including paddy, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and asked for an early central assessment team.

About 10,450 hectares were reported inundated or damaged, according to the same letter.

District officials reported about 6,000 electric poles uprooted in Konaseema alone, according to the Daily Pioneer.

More than 220 trees fell on state roads, and over 170 were cleared by Wednesday afternoon, according to the Chief Minister as quoted by the Daily Pioneer.

The Visakhapatnam Collector said about 80% of power and water supply had been restored, with about 150 teams clearing trees.

The Chief Minister said more than 28,000 people were moved to relief shelters and that the figures are provisional, and the NDRF said 714 villages in Andhra Pradesh were affected.

Satellite image of a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal in 2023 (file image, not Cyclone Arnab), CIRA/NOAA via Wikimedia Commons, public domain