December 5, 2023
Michaung Drenches India’s Southeast Coast
Strong winds and torrential rains battered India’s southern Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states after Michaung, a tropical cyclone, struck near Bapatla on December 5, 2023.
The storm dropped more than 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain in many areas, leading to widespread flooding. The pair of images above show flooding near Kavali, a town in Andhra Pradesh. The image on the right shows swollen waterways and flooded farmland on December 6, 2023. The image on the left shows the same region on September 17, before the storm hit. Both images were acquired with the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9. Rice, cotton, chili, and maize crops suffered extensive damage, according to news reports. The Times of India reported damage to 600,000 acres (240 square kilometers) of crops.
When it hit the coast, the severe cyclonic storm had sustained winds of 90 to 100 kilometers (56 to 62 miles) per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department. The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite captured this image after landfall, as the weakening storm moved northward and winds had slowed to 65 to 75 kilometers per hour.
References & Resources
- The Hindu (2023, December 5) Cyclone Michaung leaves a trail of destruction in its wake in Bapatla, Guntur districts. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- India Meteorological Department (2023, December 5) Cyclone. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- NASA Earthdata (2023) Tropical Cyclones Data Pathfinder. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- Reuters (2023, December 5) Cyclone Michaung hits India’s south after 13 killed in floods, rain. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- South First (2023, December 7) Cyclone Michaung leaves trail of destruction in Andhra; tenant farmers stare at uncertain future. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- Times of India (2023, December 7) Michaung damages crops in over 6L acres. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- The Weather Channel (2023, December 7) Cyclone Michaung Causes Widespread Crop Damage and Flooding in Andhra Pradesh; Paddy, Cotton Hit Massive Blow. Accessed December 7, 2023.
- Zoom Earth (2023) Michaung 2023. Accessed December 7, 2023.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin and Wanmei Liang , using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE , GIBS/Worldview , and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Text by Adam Voiland .
