KAKINADA: Cyclone Montha roared ashore on Tuesday night, slamming into
Andhra Pradesh between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada with winds topping 100km an hour and sheets of rain that ripped through towns, snapped power lines, and sent waves surging 10ft high.
The season's first major cyclone made landfall as a severe storm around 7.30pm, its crossing lasting nearly four hours. Trees lay strewn across highways, power poles twisted in the wind, and rescue teams battled driving rain to clear the roads. A woman died in Makanapalem village of Mamidikuduru mandal in Konaseema district when a tree crashed onto her home.
The high winds uprooted trees and damaged power lines along Kakinada, Uppada, Thallarevu, Pithapuram, Thondangi, Yanam, Peddapuram, and other coastal areas. As vehicular movement was disrupted, NDRF, SDRF, and fire services personnel were immediately pressed into service to clear the roads.
The sea turned violent at Uppada in Kakinada district, flooding homes and tearing up the coastal road. Police sealed the Kakinada–Uppada beach road after waves breached embankments.
As the cyclone's eye passed inland, thousands huddled in shelters, waiting for the storm to pass. Over 10,000 Andhra residents — mostly fishing families — were evacuated from 65 villages in 12 coastal mandals before landfall.
Kakinada district collector S Shan Mohan Sagili said two NDRF teams and one SDRF unit were in the field, backed by 200 swimmers and 140 boats. "Helipads have been kept ready to airlift people from submerged areas as and when required," he said. More than 12,000 people took shelter in 76 cyclone relief centres. Nearly 1,000 cattle were moved to safer ground. As many as 259 medical camps with 185 doctors, 1,710 medical staff, 23 ambulances, 7,150 anti-rabies vaccines, 1,773 anti-snake venom doses, and 2.5 lakh chlorine tablets are kept ready
Eight flights were cancelled at Rajahmundry airport, disrupting connections to Tirupati, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
In Konaseema district, 1,200 people were shifted from Katrenikona in boats. District collector R Mahesh Kumar said a woman, identified as Gudavalli Veeramani, was killed when a tree fell on her at Makanapalem in Mamidikuduru mandal. She died on the spot.
In West Godavari, 8,000 people have been evacuated and shifted to 45 cyclone relief centres. District collector Ch Naga Rani said Vemula Deevi, Biyyapu Thippa, Pedamainvani Lanka, and Chinamaina Vani Lanka villages are likely to be affected by the cyclone. Two APSP teams, three Greyhound teams, 36 NDRF and 100 SDRF personnel have been kept ready to meet any emergencies.