Additional heavy rainfall hampers Sri Lanka's recovery following deadly cyclone

Persistent heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka is further obstructing recovery operations following a powerful cyclone last week that claimed hundreds of lives and displaced tens of thousands, officials reported. Southern regions received over 130 mm (5.1 inches) of rain within 15 hours on Thursday, with more severe showers forecast across southern and southwestern areas on Friday.

The continuous downpour is slowing cleanup and reconstruction efforts after Cyclone Ditwah, which caused the islands worst flooding in a decade, struck on Sunday.

The cyclone has killed at least 486 people, destroyed more than 50,000 homes, and forced 170,000 individuals into relief shelters, according to the Disaster Management Centre and local authorities. Additionally, 341 people remain unaccounted for.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the disaster as the most severe Sri Lanka has ever faced, calling the ongoing rescue operation the most challenging in the nations history.

This calamity is part of a larger wave of floods and landslides across Southeast Asia last week, which also affected Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, collectively claiming around 1,500 lives. Similar to Sri Lanka, many villages in Indonesia remain trapped under mud and debris.

Evacuations and Ongoing Risks

Residents evacuated from landslide-prone central hills are being warned against returning to their homes, even if they appear undamaged, due to ongoing instability of the mountainsides.

Prasanna Shantha Kumara, staying in a relief center with his family, expressed the hardships faced by displaced residents: I have lost my house and my crops. How can we survive like this? We need assistance.

Many affected citizens have criticized the government for insufficient preparedness and response to the flooding and its aftermath.

Authorities, led by Prabath Chandrakeerthi, commissioner-general of essential services, reported providing 25,000 rupees ($83) per household for cleaning, with full reconstruction costs projected at $6-7 billion. An additional 2.5 million rupees ($8,300) is being allocated to start rebuilding destroyed homes.

Chandrakeerthis office confirmed that almost three-quarters of the national electricity supply has been restored, though some areas in Central Province remain without power or telephone service.

The state-owned Daily News forecast 75 mm (3 inches) of rainfall today across parts of southern and southwestern Sri Lanka, including the western urban areas surrounding Colombo.

President Dissanayake declared a state of emergency last Saturday and pledged to rebuild the country with international assistance.

Author: Grace Ellison