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Cyclone Gulab

After crossing the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Gulab made landfall over the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast on September 26. The cyclone devastated a large swath of land and killed thirteen people in Maharashtra, India, along with 206 livestock. The deaths occurred as a result of the heavy rains and floods that followed the cyclone, not as a direct result of the cyclone itself. Cyclone Gulab then dwindled into a depression and traveled across India and subsequently the Arabian Sea. The storm could cause potentially millions of dollars in damages, although the total economic impact is still unknown.

On Sunday evening, Cyclone Gulab hit coastal Andhra, resulting in the evacuation of over 200,000 people to various shelters around the area. Around 2:30 AM on Monday, the cyclone weakened into a depression but continued to move westward. The maximum speed of the cyclone was only 75-95 kph, which is milder than the previous few cyclones. However, the rain and storms that accompanied the cyclone proved to be the real danger. On Tuesday, strong currents from an overflowing nullah swept away a bus containing six people. Two of the occupants were rescued, but the driver and three other people were still stuck inside. They are still currently missing. In a separate incident, six people were traveling by boat towards their village when they were caught in the storm. In the subsequent impact, a fisherman died and another was injured.

Not only are the fatality rates grim, but the total damages to farms are dismal as well. Cyclone Gulab damaged over 50,000 acres of farmland, a significant blow to farmers. Around 70% of the damages sustained by the cyclone are from agriculture. Due to the timing of the cyclone, the crops were at their final stages when the storm struck. Around 6,800 farmers suffered losses due to the cyclone, incurring over a million dollars in monetary loss. With the added pressure of Cyclone Gulab, farmers won’t even be able to earn back the amount of money they used to grow their crops.

In an attempt to aid farmers along with other citizens caught in the cyclone, the government sent out disaster response forces. Some personnel also cleared roads of fallen trees and other debris. The government announced relief plans to support those who face considerable profit loss, especially farmers. However, despite these relief measures, the danger is not over. After falling into a depression, Cyclone Gulab was reborn as Cyclone Shaheen on the other side of the Arabian Sea. The cyclone is now battering Oman and neighboring areas, wrecking the coast as it did in Odisha and Andhra. To help out in this currently ongoing battle against nature, please consider donating to the charities linked below.


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