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{{Short description|Category 4 North Indian tropical cyclone in 1996}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Good article}}
{{infobox weather event
| image = 07B Nov 6 1996 0758Z.png
| caption = Satellite image of the storm prior to landfall in India on 6 November
| formed = 4 November 1996
| dissipated = 7 November 1996
}}{{infobox weather event/IMD
| winds = 77
| pressure = 988
}}{{infobox weather event/JTWC
| winds = 115
| pressure = 927
}}{{infobox weather event/Effects
| year = 1996
| fatalities = 1,077 total
| damage = 602000000
| areas = India (especially [[Andhra Pradesh]])
| refs =
}}{{infobox weather event/Footer
| season = [[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 4 November in the eastern [[Bay of Bengal]]. Moving westward, it quickly organized and developed a well-defined [[eye (cyclone)|eye]]. On 6 November, the cyclone struck about {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Kakinada]], Andhra Pradesh at peak intensity. The [[India Meteorological Department]] estimated peak winds of {{convert|145|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}},{{refn|The [[India Meteorological Department]] is the official [[Regional Specialized Meteorological Center]] for the northern Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite report|publisher=India Meteorological Department |title=Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) – Tropical Cyclones, New Delhi |access-date=24 April 2015 |url=http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/rsmcobmission.pdf |author=RSMC New Delhi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412152908/http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/rsmcobmission.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2012 }}</ref>|group="nb"}} while the American-based [[Joint Typhoon Warning Center]] (JTWC) assessed peak winds of {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}.{{refn|The [[Joint Typhoon Warning Center]] is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues tropical cyclone warnings for the northern Indian Ocean and other regions.<ref>{{cite web|author=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|title=Joint Typhoon Warning Center Mission Statement|year=2011|access-date=30 November 2011|url=https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/menu/JTWC_mission.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070726103400/https://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/menu/JTWC_mission.html|archive-date=26 July 2007|publisher=United States Navy, United States Airforce}}</ref>|group="nb"}} Soon after [[landfall]], the cyclone weakened and dissipated by 7 November.

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 {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland, dropped {{convert|210|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rainfall across a {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} region, and flooded over 250 villages along a {{convert|60|km|mi|abbr=on}} portion of the coast. About 70% of the overall damage was in [[East Godavari district]], where two villages were entirely destroyed. The storm destroyed {{convert|241802|ha|acre|abbr=on}} 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 {{INRConvert|21.5|b|year=1996}}, comparable to a [[1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone|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 [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|Red Cross]] chapters helped residents recover from the damage, while the [[World Bank]] provided money to better prepare Andhra Pradesh for future storms.

==Meteorological history==
{{storm path|Cyclone 07B 1996 track.png}}
On 30 October, a [[1996 Pacific typhoon season#Tropical Depression 34W|Pacific tropical depression]] crossed the [[Kra Isthmus]] into the [[Bay of Bengal]], dissipating the next day over [[Myanmar]]. A new area of [[convection (meteorology)|convection]], or thunderstorms, developed over the [[Andaman Sea]] on 1 November
<ref name="atcr">{{cite report|author=Eric J. Trehubenko|publisher=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|date=1997|title=1996 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report |access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1996atcr.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054837/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1996atcr.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |pages=183, 234–235|location=Hagåtña, Guam}}</ref> The system was located within the [[monsoon trough]], and a weak flow steered it slowly westward across the Bay of Bengal,<ref name="bom">{{cite periodical |pages=2, 3|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|volume=15|number=11|date=October 1996 |title=Tropical Cyclones |periodical=Darwin Tropical Diagnostic Statement|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199611.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024409/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ntregion/statements/tropical/dtds-199611.pdf |archive-date=2015-11-17}}</ref> 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 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] on 3 November. At 12:00 UTC that day, the agency initiated advisories on the system, designating it Tropical Cyclone 07B about {{convert|645|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Yangon]], Myanmar.<ref name="atcr"/> The [[India Meteorological Department]] (IMD) – the official [[Regional Specialized Meteorological Center]] for the basin – did not classify the system until 4 November; at 15:00 UTC, the agency designated it as a [[Tropical cyclone scales#North Indian Ocean|depression]].<ref name="imd">{{cite report|publisher=India Meteorological Department|date=January 1996|title=Report on cyclonic disturbances over north Indian Ocean during 1996|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://www.rsmcnewdelhi.imd.gov.in/images/pdf/archive/rsmc/1996.pdf}}</ref>

Located beneath the axis of an upper-level [[ridge (meteorology)|ridge]], the depression was able to intensify and organize more, with prominent [[outflow (meteorology)|outflow]] developing.<ref name="bom"/> On 5 November, the IMD upgraded the system to a deep depression and later to a cyclonic storm.<ref name="imd"/> At 06:00 UTC on the same day, the JTWC upgraded the storm to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, estimating 1 minute winds of {{convert|120|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}.<ref name="bt">{{cite report|author=Kenneth R. Knapp|author2=Michael C. Kruk|author3=David H. Levinson|author4=Howard J. Diamond|author5=Charles J. Neumann|year=2010|work=The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data|title=1996 Missing (1996306N15097)|publisher=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1996306N15097|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120042112/http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1996306N15097|archive-date=20 November 2015}}</ref> It continued westward toward eastern India at a slow pace, later turning more to the west-northwest. Early on 6 November, the storm began rapidly intensifying, and the IMD upgraded the storm to a severe cyclonic storm and later a very severe cyclonic storm. At 04:00 UTC that day, an irregular [[eye (cyclone)|eye]] formed in the middle of the [[central dense overcast]], which quickly became more circular and distinct.<ref name="imd"/> At 06:00 UTC on 6 November, the JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, the equivalent of a Category 4 on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale|Saffir–Simpson scale]], and a minimum [[atmospheric pressure|barometric pressure]] of {{convert|927|mbar|inHg|abbr=on}}.<ref name="bt"/><ref name="atcr"/> The IMD assessed a much lower intensity, estimating 3 minute winds of {{convert|145|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} based on a [[Dvorak technique|Dvorak rating]] of 4.5.<ref name="imd"/>

While approaching land, the eye contracted from a peak width of {{convert|64|to|17|km|mi|abbr=on}}. At 16:00 UTC on 6 November, the cyclone made [[landfall]] about {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Kakinada]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] along the east coast of India. The estimated landfall pressure was {{convert|978|mbar|inHg|abbr=on}}. It was a smaller-than-normal cyclone, only {{convert|450|km|mi|abbr=on}} in diameter. The storm rapidly weakened after moving ashore, deteriorating into a deep depression early on 7 November.<ref name="imd"/> The JTWC issued their last advisory at 06:00 UTC that day,<ref name="atcr"/> and the IMD downgraded the system to a remnant low-pressure area over [[Telangana]] at 12:00 UTC.<ref name="imd"/>

==Preparations and impact==
[[File:Cyclone 07B 1996.png|right|thumb|Satellite image and map of the cyclone approaching India]]
The IMD issued warnings related to the cyclone that were distributed to the public by television, telegraph, news outlets, and other government departments.<ref name="imd"/> The [[Akashvani (radio broadcaster)|All India Radio]] broadcast warnings beginning on 5 November, the day before landfall.<ref name="fao"/> Train service was disrupted throughout Andhra Pradesh, stranding thousands of travelers. India's [[Oil and Natural Gas Corporation]] suspended operations during the storm.<ref name="dg119"/> The storm caused local [[Diwali]] festivities to be canceled.<ref name="day"/> It ultimately struck about {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of where it was expected, in a region farther away from state shelters.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|agency=The New York Times|date=12 November 1996|title=Battered by Cyclone, Indians Begin to Rebuild}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> About 225,000 families evacuated due to the storm.<ref name="imd"/> However, about 30% of the towns in the region lacked a storm shelter, and the existing shelters were generally in poor shape.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=8 November 1996|title=Cyclone victims should have been warned, say Indian newspapers}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> Some residents avoided the shelters due to their state of disrepair,<ref name="day"/> or stayed in their homes for fear they would be robbed.<ref name="nyt"/> In addition, storm emergency plans enacted after [[1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone|a cyclone in 1977]] that struck Andhra Pradesh had not been used since 1986.<ref name="day"/> Roads and shelters built following a [[1990 Andhra Pradesh cyclone|cyclone in 1990]] fared the storm better than older structures.<ref name="wb"/>

The powerful cyclone brought intense winds, heavy rainfall, and high waves to Andhra Pradesh in eastern India. Hurricane-force winds – at least 120 km/h (75 mi) – penetrated {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland. Peak gusts were estimated at {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}, based on [[anemometer]]s that were blown away in [[Yanam]]. The highest recorded sustained wind was {{convert|111|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} by a ship at the [[Kakinada Port]], only {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the landfall location. The storm dropped heavy rainfall near the coast, peaking at {{convert|390|mm|in|abbr=on}} in [[Amalapuram]].<ref name="imd"/> Rainfall rates of over {{convert|210|mm|in|abbr=on}} occurred over 3 hours in a {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} stretch of land.<ref name="day">{{cite news|author=Krishna Prasad|author2=S. Sivanand|title=The Day Disaster Struck|date=27 November 1996|newspaper=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|The Outlook]]|access-date=12 November 2015|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/the-day-disaster-struck/202570}}</ref> Along a {{convert|60|km|mi|abbr=on}} portion of the coast, {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} waves accompanied a {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[storm surge]], spreading {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland.<ref name="imd"/><ref name="atcr"/> The storm struck just three weeks after another storm killed 350 people.<ref name="dg119"/> Storm damage extended {{convert|130|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland.<ref name="afp119">{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=9 November 1996|title=Cyclone victims pick up the pieces|author=Madhu Nainan}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> Widespread areas of crop fields were inundated with floodwaters, washing away tons of rice, coconuts, and bananas.<ref name="dg119"/> The winds knocked down about 5 million coconut trees.<ref name="ap119"/> It was estimated that the storm destroyed {{convert|174000|ha|acre|abbr=on}} of rice paddy, along with {{convert|67802|ha|acre|abbr=on}} of other crops.<ref name="imd"/> About 13,500 livestock and 1 million chickens were killed by the storm;<ref name="rc1121"/><ref name="news">{{cite news|newspaper=The News|agency=Associated Press|date=10 November 1996|title=Tragedy revealed as water recedes|access-date=10 November 2015|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1290&dat=19961110&id=UiRUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S44DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6535,2467199&hl=en}}</ref> many of them rotted on arable fields after the waters receded.<ref name="dg119"/>

Heavy rainfall and high tides flooded more than 250 villages,<ref name="atcr"/> and the cyclone affected 1,380 villages throughout Andhra Pradesh. Many canals and drains were breached by the floods. The storm washed four cargo ships ashore and sank or destroyed 6,464 boats.<ref name="imd"/> About 70% of the overall damage was in [[East Godavari district]],<ref name="rc1121">{{cite report|work=International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|date=21 November 1996|title=India: Cyclone IFRC situation report no. 2|publisher=ReliefWeb|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-cyclone-ifrc-situation-report-no-2}}</ref> where Kakinada was among the hardest hit villages.<ref name="news"/> Two nearby villages – Bhairvapada and Bulusutippa – were entirely destroyed.<ref name="imd"/><ref name="rc1121"/> The villages did not receive advanced warning, and Bhairvapada did not have a functioning cyclone shelter.<ref name="fao"/> There, 90% of the boats were damaged or destroyed.<ref name="day"/> In Amalapuram, also in East Godavari, roughly two of every three houses were destroyed.<ref name="ap119"/> The cyclone also destroyed 55 electrical towers,<ref name="wb"/> including a {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall telecommunications tower,<ref name="imd"/> as well as nearly 17,000 power lines in West Godavari.<ref name="wb"/> About {{convert|1300|km|mi|abbr=on}} of roads were damaged or washed out, including {{convert|210|km|mi|abbr=on}} of [[National Highway 5 (India, old numbering)|National Highway 5]].<ref name="wb"/> Flooding also washed out several railroads,<ref name="dg119"/> while damaged water drainage systems spewed sewage onto the streets. Many hospitals in the region were washed away or flooded.<ref name="afp1110"/> Across Andhra Pradesh, the storm damaged 647,554 houses,<ref name="imd"/> with about 200,000 sustaining roof damage,<ref name="news"/> and over 10,000 that were destroyed.<ref name="atcr"/> Over 100,000 people were left homeless.<ref name="upi1110">{{cite news|agency=United Press International|date=10 November 1996|title=India offers tax break for cyclone aid}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> In the hardest hit areas, only houses made of brick and cement withstood the high winds,<ref name="dg119"/> and huts made of mud and [[Thatching|thatch]] were decimated.<ref name="news"/> Overall damage was officially estimated at [[Indian rupee|RS$]]21.5 billion (US$602 million).<ref name="imd"/>{{refn|The total was originally reported in [[Indian rupee]]. Total converted via the [[Oanda Corporation]] website.<ref name="oanda">{{cite web|publisher=Oanda Corporation|year=2015|title=Historical Exchange Rates|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://www.oanda.com/currency/historical-rates/|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004000103/http://www.oanda.com/currency/historical-rates/|url-status=dead}}</ref>|group="nb"|name="jpy"}} However, the World Bank indicated damage reached as high as US$1.5 billion.<ref name="wb"/> Officials likened damage to the 1977 cyclone that also struck Andhra Pradesh.<ref name="afp119"/>

After the storm, there were 1,000 fishermen missing at sea,<ref name="atcr"/> despite warnings not to leave port.<ref name="reut11">{{cite news|agency=Reuters|title=India Cyclone Death Toll May Exceed 2,000|date=11 November 1996|access-date=7 November 2015|publisher=ReliefWeb|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-cyclone-death-toll-may-exceed-2000}}</ref> After being presumed lost, 162 boats returned to port four days after the storm,<ref name="farooq">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=12 November 1996|author=Omer Farooq|title=Feared Dead in Cyclone, Fishermen Return to India's South Coast}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> and additional fishermen returned over the succeeding days.<ref name="ocha2">{{cite report|work=United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs|date=15 November 1996|title=India Cyclone Information Report No.2|publisher=ReliefWeb|access-date=6 November 2015|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-cyclone-information-report-no2}}</ref> However, there were 569 fishermen killed or left missing due to lost boats at sea. Many of these fishermen had departed days before the storm, and those that survived had transistors in their boats.<ref name="fao"/> Lacking advanced warning, many shrimp farmers in remote villages were swept away by waves.<ref name="fao"/> Hundreds of dead bodies were discovered along the shore; after they were identified, the corpses were cremated instead of bringing the bodies into local villages.<ref name="reut11"/> Most of the fatalities on land were the result of buildings collapsing on people who stayed inside.<ref name="dg119"/> A ferry crossing the [[Godavari River]] sank amid rough waves, killing all 42 people on board.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=7 November 1996|author=Omer Farooq|title=Storm Hits India, State Executive Says Death Toll May Reach 2,000}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref><ref name="atcr"/> Overall, the cyclone killed at least 978 people in Andhra Pradesh, with 1,375 people listed as missing in January 1997.<ref name="imd"/> However, the [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|Red Cross]] did not expect to find all of the missing bodies, as some were likely washed into the Bay of Bengal.<ref name="rc1121"/> A later report to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|Food and Agriculture Organization]] indicated there were 1,077 confirmed deaths, with an unconfirmed death toll as high as 2,760.<ref name="fao">{{cite report|issn=0429-9337|series=FAO Fisheries Report|chapter=A Description and Analysis of the Events Occurring at Sea and on Land 6 and 7 November 1996 in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India|author=C.M. Muralidharan|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=26LY4Jf-zEgC&pg=PA36| title=Report of the Government of India/Government of Andhra Pradesh/FAO Workshop on Measure to Reduce the Loss of Life During Cyclones |year=2000|pages=36–38|publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]]}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
Following the storm's heavy damage, homeless residents resided in temporary camps.<ref name="reut11"/> Later, the Indian government set up 742 relief centers housing 177,000 people,<ref name="rc1121"/> utilizing schools and office buildings.<ref name="news"/> However, residents did not stay for extended periods of time in the shelters, as rebuilding began within three days of the storm's landfall.<ref name="wb"/> Many of the displaced people returned to their homes after the storm receded. Workers restored water service and distributed potable water to those in need.<ref name="rc1121"/> Workers used cranes to remove trees from highways.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=9 November 1996|title=Traffic resumes in cyclone-ravaged India's south}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> Roads and communication links were quickly restored,<ref name="ocha2"/> as was the power supply.<ref name="rc1113">{{cite report|work=International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|date=13 November 1996|title=India: Cyclone IFRC situation report no. 1|publisher=ReliefWeb|access-date=7 November 2015|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-cyclone-ifrc-situation-report-no-1}}</ref> Later, damaged houses were reconstructed with tiled roofs while destroyed houses were rebuilt on [[concrete slab]]s, both to withstand stronger winds.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

The Andhra Pradesh government coordinated with the [[Indian Red Cross Society]] to provide relief goods to the affected citizens, such as {{convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of rice per family.<ref name="rc1121"/> The Red Cross sent 10 trucks carrying blankets, food, and cooking supplies from [[Delhi]] to Andhra Pradesh,<ref name="rc1121"/> to be distributed by the Andhra Pradesh Red Cross.<ref name="rc1113"/> India's military enacted [[search and rescue]] missions in the days following the storm.<ref name="wb2">{{cite report|publisher=World Bank|title=India-Proposed Andhra Pradesh Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Cyclone Recovery Project|date=29 January 1997|access-date=13 November 2015|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1997/09/05/000009265_3971229184534/Rendered/PDF/multi0page.pdf}}</ref> Six helicopters worked continuously to airlift food, water, and medicine to storm victims,<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|author=Dev Varam|date=9 November 1996|title=Indian state battles to aid cyclone victims}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref><ref name="dg119"/> although residents fought over the aid in poor areas.<ref name="farooq"/> Helicopters also surveyed the storm damage, as many affected small villages were not linked by roads.<ref name="day"/> About 935 medical teams were established following the storm,<ref name="rc1121"/> and chlorinated drinking tablets were distributed to purify water,<ref name="ap119">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|author=Omer Farooq|date=9 November 1996|title=Death, Disease, Destruction from Cyclone in Southern India}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> in an attempt to prevent a [[cholera]] outbreak. Cholera spreads through stagnant contaminated water, and there were eight reports of storm victims contracting the disease.<ref name="ap119"/><ref name="dg119">{{cite news|author=Omer Farooq|newspaper=The Daily Gazette|date=9 November 1996|access-date=10 November 2015|agency=Associated Press|title=Cyclone leaves death, disease and destruction in India|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19961109&id=DIhGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NekMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5237,2071334&hl=en}}</ref> In the months after the storm, foreign governments and international organizations donated about US$500,000.<ref name="wb"/>

The [[World Bank]] considered the cyclone as having a significant effect on [[Economy of Andhra Pradesh|Andhra Pradesh's economy]].<ref name="wb"/> Andhra Pradesh's [[Chief Minister (India)|chief minister]] [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]] estimated that the state would take as long as 30 years to recover from the storm.<ref name="afp1110">{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=10 November 1996|title=Cholera outbreak grips cyclone-hit Indian state}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> The government provided Rs. 1,500 (US$420) to every family whose hut collapsed during the storm, and Rs. 100,000 (US$2,857) to the family of every person killed by the storm.<ref name="out"/><ref>{{cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=8 November 1996|title=Indian cyclone may have killed 1,000, says chief minister}}{{subscription required|via=Lexis Nexis}}</ref> However, there were also reports of people stealing bodies to receive the payment.<ref name="out"/> The federal government provided about US$12 million to the state, as well as tax deductions for monetary donations.<ref name="upi1110"/> Former [[Union Council of Ministers of India|Union Minister]] [[P. V. Rangaiah Naidu|Rangaiah Naidu]] opined that the state government overinflated the damage estimates to qualify for additional aid, in part due to the government spending annual disaster subsidies for salaries.<ref name="out">{{cite news|newspaper=The Outlook|date=27 November 1996|title=Milking A Tragedy?|access-date=12 November 2015|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/milking-a-tragedy/202571}}</ref> The World Bank credited the government's experience with disasters as saving lives, although the response to the disaster was largely in repairing damage, rather than mitigating against future storms. The storm also demonstrated the region's outdated infrastructure.

Following the heavy damage from the cyclone and other recent disasters, the World Bank enacted a plan for Andhra Pradesh in April 1997, consisting of repairing damaged infrastructure, an updated disaster plan, and technical assistance to the state government. Shelters and roads would be improved to higher standards.<ref name="wb">{{cite report|date=11 April 1997|title=Technical Annex on a Proposed Loan and Credit to India for an Andhra Pradesh Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Cyclone Recovery Project|pages=5–7, 10–11, Attachment 11|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/1997/04/11/000009265_3970818103327/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf|publisher=World Bank}}</ref> This plan ultimately cost about US$175 million and was completed in July 2003, three years longer than expected but at a lower cost due to the Indian rupee losing some of its value. Power lines were improved to withstand winds of {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, while drains were enlarged and a coastal plant system was created to lessen flooding. An additional 82 public shelters were constructed. However, the plan failed to yield a long term disaster policy for the state.<ref>{{cite web|date=19 March 2004|title=Implementation Completion Report (ICR) Review – A.p. Emerg. Cyclone|author=Silke Heuser|access-date=13 November 2015|url=http://lnweb90.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/InterLandingPagesByUNID/8525682E0068603785256E2900544741|archive-date=20 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120053701/http://lnweb90.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/InterLandingPagesByUNID/8525682E0068603785256E2900544741}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}
* [[Typhoon Gay (1989)]] – powerful cyclone that took a similar track from the South China Sea into India
* [[Cyclone Jal]] – weaker storm that also crossed the entirety of the Bay of Bengal

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1996 North Indian Ocean cyclone season]]
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in India]]
[[Category:Very severe cyclonic storms]]
[[Category:1990s in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Disasters in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Floods in India]]

1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone - Revision history

EverettJat at 16:53, 7 April 2026