KAKINADA/BHUBANESWAR: Cyclone Montha roared into India’s eastern coast on Tuesday night, slamming into Andhra Pradesh between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada with wind speeds exceeding 100 kmph and torrential rain. The season’s first major cyclone left a trail of destruction — uprooting trees, snapping power lines, flooding coastal roads, and damaging homes.
The severe cyclonic storm made landfall around 7:30 p.m., its crossing lasting nearly four hours. One woman died in Makanapalem village of Mamidikuduru mandal after a tree crashed onto her house. Rescue teams worked through the night to clear debris and restore connectivity as fallen trees and twisted power poles blocked highways.
Andhra on Alert as Sea Turns Violent At Uppada in Kakinada district, the sea turned ferocious, breaching embankments, flooding homes, and tearing up coastal roads. Police sealed off the Kakinada–Uppada beach road after massive waves surged nearly 10 feet high. Over 10,000 people — mostly fishing families from 65 villages in 12 coastal mandals — were evacuated before landfall.
Kakinada district collector S. Shan Mohan said two NDRF and one SDRF team, along with 200 swimmers and 140 boats, were deployed for rescue operations. “Helipads are ready for emergency airlifts if required,” he added. More than 12,000 people took shelter in 76 relief centres, while nearly 1,000 cattle were moved to safer locations. Flight operations at Rajahmundry airport were disrupted, with eight services to major cities including Tirupati, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai cancelled.
Odisha Feels the Impact In neighbouring Odisha, Montha’s outer bands unleashed heavy rain and winds up to 100 kmph across Ganjam and Gajapati districts, triggering landslides and blocking key routes in R. Udayagiri, Parlakhemundi, Huma, and Kashipur. While no casualties were reported, authorities warned of potential flooding as rainfall continued overnight.
The Odisha government opened more than 2,000 cyclone shelters and deployed 158 emergency teams — including five NDRF, 30 ODRAF, and 123 fire service units — for rescue and relief work. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said 11,000 people had already been moved to safety under the state’s “zero casualty” mission, with another 30,000 ready for evacuation if conditions deteriorate. Deputy CM K.V. Singhdeo said agricultural losses were “significant” and promised compensation once district-level assessments were complete.
IMD Forecast: Rains to Persist IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said Montha’s remnants would continue to bring heavy to extremely heavy rain over southern Odisha and parts of Chhattisgarh through Wednesday, with winds reaching up to 80 kmph inland. Regional IMD chief Manorama Mohanty added that rainfall would gradually subside by Friday, leaving behind scattered showers over interior Odisha on Thursday.
