Heavy rain lashes Odisha as deep depression approaches coast, 3,500 people evacuated

Heavy rain fell upon southern and coastal Odisha on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) as a deep depression approached the coast, leading authorities to evacuate at least 3,500 individuals to safety. Rainfall in the region had been ongoing since Tuesday (September 22, 2026), with Semiliguda in Koraput district experiencing the highest intensity at 230 mm in the past 24 hours, followed by Jeypore in the same district with 161 mm.

Over 16 locations in the state received more than 10 cm of rain. The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal was moving towards the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast at 5 kmph for the past six hours, centered 60 km southeast of Kalingapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 140 km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam, 150 km south of Gopalpur, and 240 km southwest of Puri at 8.30 a.m. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 3,500 people, including pregnant women and the elderly, were moved to cyclone centers and temporary relief camps as a precaution, with cooked meals provided to them.

Landslide-prone Gajapati district, south Odisha, saw 140 high-risk areas identified by the district administration, which is closely monitoring them. Rainwater entered houses, trees fell, structures collapsed, and muddy waters rushed down hills in Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Nabarangpur districts. The IMD forecast light to moderate rain for most areas, heavy to very heavy rain in some regions, and extremely heavy rain in isolated spots on Wednesday and Thursday.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected in isolated places on Friday and Saturday. A red alert was issued for Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Nabarangpur districts, anticipating over 20 cm of rain in the next 24 hours. Similar red warnings were issued for Nabarangpur for Thursday. Several southern and coastal districts received an orange warning, predicting 12-20 cm of rainfall.

Squally weather conditions with wind speeds of 55-65 kmph were forecast until Thursday evening. The weather office advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until Thursday evening. The State government mobilized 33 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to handle any potential emergencies. The government ordered the closure of educational institutions and Anganwadi centers in 10 districts, canceled government official leaves, and instructed hospitals in vulnerable areas to stock emergency medicines.

Pregnant women were advised to relocate from low-lying areas to nearby community health centers or Maa Gruhas for their safety.