Drones Deployed to Assess Disaster Damage Caused by Cyclone Phethai in India

Cyclone Phethai made its landfall on the south-eastern coast of India late in the day yesterday. There are reports of crop damages in the delta regions of the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

Cyclone Phethai made its landfall in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India. According to media reports, the state government will deploy drones to assess the damages left in wake of Cyclone Phethai. Some 60 to 70 drones are slated to be deployed, a government source added.

Tidal waves in uppada #beach, kakinada. This is far away 6 km from my hometown Pithapuram. #CyclonePhethai pic.twitter.com/mLw96NDH7n

— యద్భావం తద్భవతి | ఓటు నమోదు చేసుకో పౌరుడా (@AnudeepPSPK) December 18, 2018

Rescue operations started in #konaseemaafter #CyclonePhethai made landfall. #CyclonePhethai #Phethai #PethaiCyclone#CycloneAlert #cyclone #chandrababunaidu #tdp @ncbn #andhrapradesh @JaiTDP @naralokesh pic.twitter.com/smhcTCz3vU

— TDP Live Updates (@TDPLiveUpdates) December 18, 2018

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Many trains and flights to, from, and within the region were cancelled. The state government is in the process of damage assessment, although according to media reports, damages are not as extensive as they were expected to be. However, there were lots of damages to the standing crops in the delta regions of the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

#CyclonePhethai: Rare meteorological phenomenon 'fish rain' witnessed at Amalapuram in East Godavari district. (Video credit: Samayam Telugu) pic.twitter.com/fxVqjvIZ2i

— TOI Andhra Pradesh (@TOI_Andhra) December 17, 2018

SDRF&NDRF swing into restoration drive following landfall of #CyclonePhethai, AP-Min' @naralokesh monitoring the relief efforts from Real Time Governance (RTG) Command centre.#CyclonePhethai#AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/a2fyiX7c36

— CharanTeja (@CharanT16) December 17, 2018

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A rough estimate of damages includes some 10,500 hectares of agricultural losses and about 400 hectares of horticultural losses. Losses of crops like paddy, maize, tobacco and pulses were reported.