Severe cyclonic storm Montha has tightened its grip on Andhra Pradesh, positioned 230 km south-southeast of Kakinada at noon Tuesday and surging northwest at 15 kmph. Landfall is imminent between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam—centered near Kakinada—late evening or night, with wind speeds forecast to hit 90–100 kmph and gust up to 110 kmph. Red alerts blanket most coastal districts, Krishna under orange, while sea conditions deteriorate to very rough. Torrential rainfall projections include 160.53 mm in West Godavari, 113.53 mm in Krishna, and over 48 mm in Konaseema.

Kakinada district leads the emergency response, evacuating 26,500 residents from 67 vulnerable villages across 18 cyclone-prone mandals, with 12,135 sheltered in 76 of 401 relief camps. Collector Shan Mohan Sagili and SP G Bindu Madhav oversee field operations, though complaints of substandard food and absent elected representatives surfaced in Vakalapudi and Suryaraopeta. Visakhapatnam battles uprooted trees, closed beaches, and minor landslides, while Srikakulam endures persistent showers. Flash flood warnings span low-lying areas, with Rayalaseema districts also reporting heavy downpours.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, alongside Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and senior officials, chaired a high-level review, ordering zero-casualty protocols and lessons from past cyclones. The state has deployed 11 NDRF teams, 12 SDRF units, 145 fire squads, and 373 boats, backed by 242 medical camps and 283 Rapid Response Teams. Over 3,361 pregnant women have been shifted to hospitals, 21,513 food packets distributed, and three helipads activated in Kakinada Urban, Pithapuram, and Tallarevu. For the first time, a public address system delivers real-time voice alerts via strategically placed microphones.

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APSDMA and RTGS operate round-the-clock control rooms, supported by satellite phones and VHF sets. Citizens are urged to avoid coastal travel, cooperate with evacuations, and verify updates only through official channels. Emergency helplines—1070 (state), 1077 (district), 112 (police), 108 (ambulance), and 101 (fire)—remain active as Montha’s core barrels closer, threatening widespread disruption.

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