Cyclone Arnab in Srikakulam: Rs 5 lakh ex gratia and the crop relief rates
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Floodwater has cut roads to hundreds of villages in four Srikakulam mandals. The relief rates announced on 28 October, from ex gratia to rice, why the death toll ranges from 3 to 6, and what is still unknown about power and claims.
Original report
As of 28 October 2026, 23:59 IST
Srikakulam's RTC bus stand was under water on 28 October 2026, after rain that began on Tuesday 27 October sent rivers, streams and drains over their banks in several mandals, Deccan Chronicle reported (Deccan Chronicle, 2026). For Cyclone Arnab relief, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for each family that lost a member, and Rs 25,000 a hectare for paddy, sugarcane, cotton and groundnut, IAAN Express reported (IAAN Express, 2026).
The cyclone crossed the coast near Narsapur in West Godavari early on 28 October (NewsMeter, 2026), but Srikakulam's rivers are expected to peak over 28 and 29 October. Here is the district's damage, the relief and what is still open. See how every outlet covered it.
What we know
Floodwater has cut roads to hundreds of villages in Laveru, Ranasthalam, Ponduru and G. Sigadam mandals, and power poles have collapsed at several places, Deccan Chronicle reported (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- Srikakulam's schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres were closed on 28 October (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- Residents along the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers are on alert for five days, to about 2 November (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- Across Andhra, 16 NDRF and 11 SDRF teams are working in 14 districts (NewsMeter, 2026).
"Andhra Pradesh has been the most affected." — Narendra Singh Bundela, NDRF Inspector General (The Federal, 2026)
For families, the first question is what the state will pay.
The relief announced so far
Naidu's package covers deaths, cattle, crops and food, and Rs 27 crore has been released, IAAN Express reported (IAAN Express, 2026):
- Rs 5 lakh for the family of each person who died
- Rs 50,000 for each head of cattle lost
- Rs 25,000 a hectare for paddy, sugarcane, cotton and groundnut
- Rs 15,000 a hectare for other notified crops
- 25 kg of rice for flooded homes, and 50 kg for fishermen and weavers
At 2.47 acres to the hectare, the top crop rate is about Rs 10,000 an acre. Crop payments follow a damage assessment; Naidu has asked for a central team, and a virtual Cabinet meeting on Thursday 29 October is to decide relief measures (NewsMeter, 2026).
Who qualifies for the ex gratia rests on a death toll that is not yet settled.
The death toll ranges from 3 to 6
Reports on 28 October put the toll at between 3 and 6, linked to electrocution and falling trees. The Federal reported 3 deaths, IAAN Express and The New Indian Express headline 5, other national headlines 4 or 6, and an early NewsMeter report none (The Federal, 2026; IAAN Express, 2026; NewsMeter, 2026).
No report we read places a death in Srikakulam; search summaries we could not open put them in Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Bhimavaram. Power is the other gap.
No power timeline for Srikakulam yet
Poles came down at several places in Srikakulam, but no restoration date for the district has been published. The New Indian Express headline says about 15,000 poles fell across Andhra, a figure we could not check (New Indian Express, 2026). Search summaries we could not open report Naidu saying power was back in all districts except parts of Konaseema and West Godavari.
What we don't know yet
- The final death toll, and whether anyone died in Srikakulam
- A verified count of fallen poles, and when Srikakulam's supply will be fully back
- How families claim the ex gratia, and how Rs 5 lakh compares with the SDRF norm
- What the 29 October Cabinet meeting decides
- Whether the 28 October municipal polls were disrupted in cyclone-hit areas
What happens next
- To 5:30 am, 29 October: flash flood and storm surge warnings (NewsMeter, 2026; The Federal, 2026).
- 29 October: the Cabinet meets on relief (NewsMeter, 2026), with Srikakulam's flood levels expected to peak (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- 30 October to 3 November: thunderstorms, with heavy rain spells on 1-3 November (The Federal, 2026).
- About 2 November: the Vamsadhara and Nagavali alert ends.
Our report Chennai rain today: IMD yellow alert for 17 districts until 23 October explains what each weather alert colour means in centimetres of rain.
Questions people are asking
How much compensation is given for Cyclone Arnab deaths in Andhra?
Rs 5 lakh per family, announced on 28 October; crops get Rs 25,000 or Rs 15,000 a hectare after assessment (IAAN Express, 2026).
When will power be restored in Srikakulam?
No date has been published for the district.
Will the Srikakulam floods get worse?
Levels were expected to peak on 28 and 29 October, with river alerts to about 2 November (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
How many people died in Cyclone Arnab?
Reports on 28 October ranged from 3 to 6; the toll is not settled.
- Chennai rain today: IMD yellow alert for 17 districts until 23 October
- AP municipal elections 2026 date: 28 October, run by the State Election Commission
- Cyclone Arnab: PMFBY crop loss must be reported in 72 hours, insurer says
References
- Deccan Chronicle (2026) Cyclone Arnab Batters Srikakulam, Floods Villages. Deccan Chronicle. Available at: Cyclone Arnab batters Srikakulam, floods villages (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
- NewsMeter (2026) Cyclone Arnab damages crops, homes and power lines: CM Naidu seeks Central team. NewsMeter. Available at: Cyclone Arnab damages crops, homes and power lines (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
- IAAN Express (2026) Cyclone Arnab Kills Five in Andhra Pradesh; Rs 5 Lakh Ex Gratia Announced. IAAN Express. Available at: Cyclone Arnab kills five in Andhra Pradesh (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
- The Federal (2026) Cyclone Arnab: 3 dead in Andhra, flash flood warning for 13 districts. The Federal. Available at: Cyclone Arnab: 3 dead in Andhra (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
- New Indian Express (2026) Cyclone Arnab leaves trail of destruction in Andhra, five killed as 15,000 power poles fall. The New Indian Express. Available at: Cyclone Arnab leaves trail of destruction in Andhra (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
How we did this
On 28 October 2026 we read Deccan Chronicle, NewsMeter, IAAN Express and The Federal, and set their Srikakulam damage reports, death tolls, evacuation counts and relief figures side by side, using our coverage page for this story. For The New Indian Express we could read only the headline, and we compared the death tolls in other national headlines. We looked for the SDRF norm, a claim procedure, a Srikakulam power timeline and any effect on the municipal polls, and found none in the reports we read. The hero is our timeline of the dates ahead.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum: 40% left, 20% center, 40% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (3): The Federal, The New Indian Express, The Hindu
- Center (2): NewsMeter, Deccan Herald
- Right-leaning (2): IAAN Express, Deccan Chronicle
Sources
- Cyclone Arnab Kills Five in Andhra Pradesh; ₹5 Lakh Ex Gratia Announced - IAAN Express — IAAN Express (right-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab: 3 dead in Andhra, flash flood warning for 13 districts — The Federal (left-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab Batters Srikakulam, Floods Villages — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab damages crops, homes and power lines: CM Naidu seeks Central team — NewsMeter (center) ·
- Five killed as Cyclone Arnab batters Andhra Pradesh; triggers floods and landslides in Odisha — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab claims five lives in Andhra Pradesh; Naidu announces relief package — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab: Andhra Pradesh puts estimated loss at ₹4,600 crore — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- SBI Contributes Rs 5.01 Crore To CM’s Relief Fund For Cyclone-Hit AP — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Cyclone Arnab: Karnataka to send 500 powermen to restore electricity in Andhra Pradesh — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- VIT Contributes Rs 1 Crore To CM Relief Fund For Cyclone Victims — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·