Cyclones are among the most dangerous and most destructive natural disasters that can occur. They have been responsible for about 1.9 million deaths worldwide over the last two centuries, and it is estimated that 10,000 people are killed each year by these storms. Cyclones tend to do the most damage in coastal areas, where they have been known to alter the landscape and remove forest canopy. 13 coastal states and Union Territories in the country are affected by Tropical Cyclones (TCs).

Cyclones bring devastation:-

Property:-
The strong winds of cyclones can cause damage over an area of 25 km in smaller systems and up to 500 km in larger systems. Winds have been known to destroy smaller buildings and knock out power for thousands of people.

Storm surge:-

• Potentially disastrous surges occur in coastal areas with low-lying terrain that enables inundation. The storm surge is typically the most damaging effect of cyclones, historically resulting in 90 percent of tropical cyclone deaths.
• When combined with strong winds, storm surges can produce massive waves that can cause inland flooding and destruction.

Life:-
Cyclones often cause loss of life, heavy damages in built environments, and have negative effects on shipping,

Fisheries, and tourism:-
Statistics show that the global average annual losses from cyclones and storm surges are estimated at US$ 80 billion.

Temperature:-
Tropical cyclones can quickly change the environment of the affected areas. They can bring warmer air into hot places. This makes the atmosphere feel very sticky and muggy and rises the temperature dramatically. This can cause heat strokes and other heat related illness to children and the elderly after the storm which is not good.

Benefits:-

Clearing pollution:-
Rain can also help clear some pollutants from air.

Heat Balance :-

• Tropical cyclones help maintain the global heat balance by moving warm tropical air away from the equator, towards the poles.
• Also, tropical cyclones prevents heat energy to building up in the tropics and stops from more storms from forming for a short period of time.

Replenish islands:-

• Cyclones have the power to pick up substantial amounts of sand, nutrients and sediment on the ocean’s bottom and bring it toward those barrier islands. Storm surge, wind and waves will often move these islands closer to the mainland as sand is pushed or pulled in that direction.
• Without tropical cyclones or artificial restoration, barrier islands would eventually shrink and sink into the ocean.
• Small reef islands are built up by the deposit of new sediments through wind and waves.

Wind energy:-
High winds associated with cyclones could enhance the production of wind energy especially the wind farms in coastal areas.

Dry areas:-

• They also provide beneficial rains to many areas that would otherwise be too dry.
• Sea life benefit greatly by cyclones, mainly through the flushing out of estuaries and river channels. It provides food and breeding grounds through this process.

Nutrients:-

• Tropical cyclones bring supplemental nutrients from the ocean to the land upon landfall. These nutrients helps plants grow strong, and keep the land healthy.
• Tropical Cyclones can greatly benefit farmers who thrive for the best fruits and vegetables since the nutrients would aid in the plants being tastier and healthier.

Tropical cyclones can bring warmer area into cool places. They can help warm up the environment surrounding the affected area. In effect, they bring more appropriate temperatures for .

While cyclone ‘Vardah’ caused distress to several people in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it brought cheer to farmers in Andhra Pradesh, as the rainfall is just sufficient for tilling and sowing. The availability of water is also likely to bring down the investment cost for them.