A spell of unseasonal rain accompanied by violent winds and thunderstorms left a trail of destruction across Kondagaon district late on Friday night, disrupting normal life and causing significant damage to homes and public infrastructure. The worst-hit area was Chipawand village, where powerful gusts tore off tin roofs from several houses, uprooted large trees and brought down electricity poles, leaving residents to endure a night of fear and darkness. The sudden change in weather caught people off guard, while the scale of devastation became fully visible only after daybreak. The weather deteriorated abruptly at around midnight. Strong winds, estimated at 70 to 80 kilometres per hour, swept through the area, giving residents little time to react.

 

The accompanying heavy rainfall damaged dozens of houses, while large trees fell across roads at several locations, disrupting traffic and movement. The storm also damaged electricity poles and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages across several villages and small towns. Electricity supply remained disrupted throughout the night, forcing residents to spend hours in darkness. The outage also affected mobile phone charging, drinking water supply and other essential daily services. Local residents said the continuous sound of falling trees and thunder throughout the night created an atmosphere of panic. Children and elderly people, in particular, spent the night in fear.

 

When villagers stepped outside their homes on Saturday morning, they found roofs blown away, trees uprooted and electricity poles lying scattered in different areas. Affected residents said the sudden storm had severely disrupted their daily lives and caused considerable financial losses to many families. Several households are now struggling to assess and recover from the damage caused by the extreme weather. Meanwhile, the district administration launched relief and restoration work from Saturday morning. Teams from power company have been deployed to repair poles and power lines, while revenue officials are conducting surveys to assess the extent of losses.

 

Tehsildar Manoj Rawte said teams from the Revenue Department were inspecting the affected areas and documenting the damage suffered by residents. He added that assessments were underway and cases for compensation would be prepared in accordance with government norms. The administration has appealed to residents to remain cautious and avoid venturing outdoors unnecessarily. The destruction caused by the unseasonal rain and storm has once again highlighted the need for preparedness and vigilance in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather events.