Montha makes landfall in Andhra, rain pounds Odisha, Pg9.

Key Highlights:

• Cyclone Montha made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday evening, impacting normal life in at least 15 districts of Odisha.
• A woman died in Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema district after being crushed by a falling tree.
• The cyclone's landfall occurred between Kakinada and Machilipatnam, with wind speeds reaching up to 100 km per hour.
• Approximately 76,000 people were evacuated to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh, and 12,000 in Odisha.
• Standing crops across 38,000 hectares and horticulture crops across 1.38 lakh hectares were destroyed.
• Indian Railways cancelled, diverted, and rescheduled trains, while all 32 flights from Visakhapatnam Airport were cancelled.

Trajectory of Cyclone Montha.png

Detailed Insights:

• The Andhra Pradesh government suspended vehicular movement in cyclone-affected districts from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, with emergency services exempted.
• Red alerts were issued for the districts of Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Konaseema, Krishna, West Godavari, and Vizianagaram due to heavy rain and wind speeds up to 80 km per hour.
• NDRF and SDRF teams were deployed for rescue and evacuation efforts, with fire services and emergency equipment placed across coastal zones.
• Community kitchens were activated in cyclone shelters to provide meals and care for vulnerable populations.
• In Odisha, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms affected southern districts, with over 9cm of rainfall recorded.
• The Odisha government set a 'zero casualty' goal, establishing over 2,000 cyclone shelters and shutting down schools and Anganwadi centers in 11 districts.
• The East Coast Railway Zone's Waltair Division and the South Central Railway (SCR) Zone experienced significant train cancellations and diversions.

Key Concepts Involved:

• NDRF (National Disaster Response Force): A specialized force for disaster response, including rescue and relief operations.
• SDRF (State Disaster Response Force): A state-level force that assists the NDRF in disaster response within a specific state.
• Red Alert: A warning issued by meteorological departments indicating that extremely bad weather is expected, posing a high risk to life and property.