Following its landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, Cyclone Arnab has significantly impacted neighboring Odisha, triggering continuous rainfall and strong winds across multiple districts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Warning for six Odisha districts, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall and gale-force winds as the weather system moves northwest toward southern Chhattisgarh.
Red and Orange Warnings Issued Across Districts
According to the IMD, the Red Warning covers Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, and Ganjam, where heavy to extremely heavy downpours are expected, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of 50–70 kmph.
Additionally, heavy to very heavy rainfall with wind speeds of 40–60 kmph is anticipated in Bargarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Puri, Khordha, and Nayagarh.
Looking ahead to October 29, the IMD has also issued an Orange Warning for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh, projecting heavy to very heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
Odisha Steps Up Disaster Preparedness
Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed that the cyclone’s landfall process began around 1:30 AM near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh before tracking northward toward Malkangiri.
To mitigate risks and ensure public safety, the state administration has mobilized a robust response network:
- 313 Total Response Teams Deployed
- 60 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) teams
- 9 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams
- 244 Fire and Emergency Service teams
Authorities reported that all fishing boats have successfully returned to shore, and preventive measures—including temporary road closures—have been implemented in vulnerable landslide-prone pockets. Reaffirming the state’s top priority, Minister Pujari stated, “Achieving zero casualties is our primary motto,” adding that no casualties have been reported so far.
