Cyclone Montha struck India’s eastern coast late Tuesday, unleashing powerful winds and torrential rain as it made landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Packing wind speeds of over 100 kmph, the cyclone caused widespread destruction across coastal towns, uprooting trees, snapping power lines, and flooding low-lying areas.
The storm, classified as a severe cyclone, began crossing the coast around 7:30 pm and raged for nearly four hours. In Andhra Pradesh’s Mamidikuduru mandal, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home. Officials said hundreds of trees were uprooted and several power poles were twisted or brought down, leaving parts of the region in darkness. Rescue teams from the National and State Disaster Response Forces battled heavy rains and strong winds to clear debris and restore access to blocked roads.
In neighboring Odisha, Montha’s outer bands triggered intense rainfall and gusty winds across Ganjam and Gajapati districts. While no casualties were reported, landslides and flooding disrupted transport in areas like R Udayagiri, Parlakhemundi, and Kashipur. The state government opened more than 2,000 cyclone shelters and deployed 158 emergency teams — including NDRF, ODRAF, and fire service units — to lead rescue and relief operations.
Flooded Roads and Evacuations in Andhra
The sea turned turbulent at Uppada in Kakinada district, where massive waves breached embankments, flooded homes, and tore apart stretches of the coastal road. Authorities sealed off the Kakinada-Uppada beach route after water levels rose dangerously high. More than 10,000 residents, primarily fishing families, were evacuated from 65 coastal villages and sheltered in 76 relief centers before the cyclone’s landfall.
Kakinada District Collector S. Shan Mohan confirmed that two NDRF teams, one SDRF unit, 200 trained swimmers, and 140 boats had been mobilized. “Helipads have been prepared to airlift people from submerged areas if required,” he said. Around 1,000 cattle were also moved to higher ground for safety.
Air travel was affected too, with eight flights cancelled at Rajahmundry airport, impacting services to cities like Tirupati, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
Odisha’s Preventive Measures Pay Off
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi reviewed ongoing relief operations and said that over 11,000 people had already been evacuated under the state’s “zero casualty” mission. He added that authorities were prepared to move another 30,000 people if conditions worsened. Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singhdeo said agricultural losses appeared extensive and that aid would be distributed once district reports were finalized.
IMD Warns of Continued Heavy Rainfall
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said Cyclone Montha would continue to bring heavy to extremely heavy rain to southern Odisha and parts of Chhattisgarh through Wednesday before gradually weakening. Regional IMD chief Manorama Mohanty added that rainfall would likely subside by Friday, though some interior regions might still experience showers on Thursday.
As the first major cyclone of the season, Montha’s impact has highlighted the preparedness of state authorities and the vulnerability of India’s eastern coastal belt. With relief and rehabilitation underway, officials are working to restore normalcy and assess the full extent of the damage.
