Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on October 28, with winds gusting to 150 km/h.
Heavy rainfall, strong winds and coastal flooding damaged homes, paddy fields and vegetable crops across southern Odisha.
More than 100,000 people were evacuated to cyclone shelters, while around 2,200 pregnant women were moved to hospitals.
Authorities reported no deaths in Odisha as of October 28.
Heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding disrupted life across eight districts, while authorities said no deaths had been reported following the cyclone's landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Cyclone Arnab battered southern Odisha overnight on October 27 and 28, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and coastal flooding that damaged homes, destroyed crops and disrupted electricity supplies across several districts.
The storm affected Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Gajapati districts, with low-lying coastal villages particularly vulnerable to flooding.
The very severe cyclonic storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts southwest of Yanam between 2 am and 8 am on October 28, with sustained winds of 125-135 km/h, gusting to 150 km/h.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone made landfall about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada.
“The latest observations indicate that the landfall process has been completed, with the central region moving completely inland,” Manorama Mohanty, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, said in a statement on October 28.
The cyclone weakened from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm by 8.30 am.
In Ganjam district, strong winds and high waves caused coastal flooding in low-lying villages, inundating farmland and damaging standing paddy crops that were nearing harvest.
Large areas of agricultural land were affected, with winter vegetable crops also suffering damage from heavy rainfall and seawater inundation.
Uprooted trees blocked roads and pathways, prompting clearance operations, while several thatched houses were damaged. Electricity supplies were disrupted in multiple locations.
Despite the damage, authorities said no deaths had been reported in Odisha as of October 28.
The Odisha government deployed teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), police, fire services and medical departments to vulnerable districts.
More than 100,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas to cyclone shelters across the state.
Rescue teams also moved around 2,200 pregnant women from cyclone-affected areas to hospitals as a precautionary measure.
Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Suresh Kumar Pujari, credited early preparations and rapid emergency response for preventing loss of life.
“The anticipatory and precautionary measures were taken by the state government to save the lives of the people,” he told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
He said the government's response had helped achieve its objective of zero loss of life.
Odisha has experienced some of its deadliest cyclones in October, including the 1971 Kendrapara cyclone, which killed around 5,000 people, and the 1999 Super Cyclone, which left roughly 10,000 dead.
Other major October storms included Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), Titli (2018) and Dana (2024).
Sarat Chandra Sahu, former director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, said warm sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal following the monsoon's withdrawal, along with favourable atmospheric conditions, could contribute to the formation of powerful cyclones.
He said October cyclones could be particularly dangerous, although Odisha also experienced storms during the pre-monsoon season in May.
Biraja Pati, president of Nature's Club, said Odisha's cyclone preparedness had improved considerably since the devastating 1999 storm, when inadequate warnings worsened the impact.
"Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of incoming cyclones, providing crucial time to seek safety," he said.