1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone
| Very severe cyclonic storm (IMD scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Satellite image of the storm striking India
|
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| Formed | November 4, 1996 |
| Dissipated | November 7, 1996 |
| Highest winds |
3-minute sustained: 145 km/h (90 mph) 1-minute sustained: 215 km/h (130 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 927 hPa (mbar); 27.37 inHg |
| Fatalities | 1077 total |
| Damage | $602 million (1996 USD) |
| Areas affected | India (especially Andhra Pradesh) |
| Part of the 1996 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
The 1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone (also known as Cyclone 07B), was a small but powerful storm that left heavy damage in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It formed on November 4 in the eastern Bay of Bengal. Moving westward, it quickly organized and developed a well-defined eye. On November 6, the cyclone struck about 50 km (30 mi) south of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh at peak intensity. The India Meteorological Department estimated peak winds of 145 km/h (90 mph), while the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed peak winds of 215 km/h (130 mph). Soon after landfall, the cyclone weakened and dissipated by November 7.
Ahead of the storm, about 225,000 families evacuated, although many towns lacked proper storm shelters. When the cyclone made landfall, it produced strong winds up to 100 km (60 mi) inland, dropped 210 millimetres (8.3 in) of rainfall across a 40 km (25 mi) region, and flooded over 250 villages along a 60 km (37 mi) portion of the coast. About 70% of the overall damage was in East Godavari district, where two villages were entirely destroyed. The storm destroyed 241,802 ha (597,510 acres) of crops and killed millions of cattle and chicken. Across Andhra Pradesh, the storm damaged 647,554 houses, including over 10,000 that were destroyed. Overall damage totaled ₹21.5 billion (equivalent to ₹82 billion or US$1.3 billion in 2016), comparable to a cyclone in 1977 that also hit Andhra Pradesh. There were 1,077 confirmed deaths with many others missing, although many of the dead were washed into the sea and were unlikely to be found. After the storm, the government and local Red Cross chapters helped residents recover from the damage, while the World Bank provided money to better prepare Andhra Pradesh for future storms.
On October 30, a Pacific tropical depression crossed the Kra Isthmus into the Bay of Bengal, dissipating the next day over Myanmar. A new area of convection, or thunderstorms, developed over the Andaman Sea on November 1 The system was located within the monsoon trough, and a weak flow steered it slowly westward across the Bay of Bengal, bringing it briefly over southwestern Myanmar. After the convection organized more, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a tropical cyclone formation alert at 07:30 UTC on November 3. At 12:00 UTC that day, the agency initiated advisories on the system, designating it Tropical Cyclone 07B about 645 km (400 mi) west of Yangon, Myanmar. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) – the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the basin – did not classify the system until November 4; at 15:00 UTC, the agency designated it as a depression.
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