Severe floods affect over 130 000 people, claim 3 lives in Sri Lanka
Severe flooding in Sri Lanka following last week’s torrential rains has left three people dead, injured two, and affected over 134 000 residents, with Colombo and Gampaha among the hardest-hit areas.
- At least 240 homes have been damaged and around 7 000 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit regions.
- Colombo and Gamapaha are the worst-hit regions so far.
- The adverse weather conditions are expected to last until Thursday, October 17.
Floods caused by heavy rains affecting Sri Lanka since last week have claimed three lives, left two injured, and affected over 130 000 people, as of Monday, October 14, 2024.
At least 12 districts have been affected by severe floods, with Colombo and Gampaha being the worst hit. At least 240 homes have been damaged, and approximately 7 000 people have been evacuated from the flooded regions. Schools have been closed in Colombo and its suburbs, and power has been cut off in some areas as a precaution.
Approximately 6 963 people from 1 753 families have been evacuated from regions including Kalutara, Gampaha, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Hambantota, Galle, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Kurunegala, and Puttalam. Gampaha has seen 80 529 people affected, while 40 231 have been affected in Colombo.
Torrential rains have disrupted transportation and train services in Puttalam and Gampaha. In Gampaha, the central bus station was completely submerged, rendering public transport unusable.
People could be seen wading through the flood waters in makeshift rafts on visuals shared by local media outlets. Flood waters have submerged entire streets, homes, and shops in some parts of the country.
According to Athula Karunanayake, Director General of the Department of Meteorology, the late monsoon downpours were triggered by the formation of a low-pressure Intertropical Convergence Zone over Sri Lanka.
The meteorological department had already warned of rainfall exceeding 100 mm (3.94 inches) on Sunday, October 13. Although the system is moving away from Sri Lanka, extreme weather is expected to continue until Thursday, October 17.
“One of the special features of this rain is that it rains heavily in a short period. Many areas may receive more than 100 mm (3.94 inches) of rain,” Karunanayake said.
The Irrigation Department has issued Yellow and Amber warnings for residents in several low-lying regions near the Kelani Ganga, Kalu Ganga, and Attanagalu Oya rivers due to rising water levels.
“Minor flooding has been reported in the Nagalagam Street area of the low-lying Kelani River, the Kalawellawa area of the low-lying Kuda Ganga of the Kalu Ganga, and the Dunamale area of the Attanagalu Oya,” said Engineer S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, Director of the Hydrology and Disaster Management Division of the Irrigation Department.
Teams from the Navy and Army are engaged in relief and rescue operations, while the government has allocated LKR 50 million (approximately USD 170 000) for relief efforts. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has mobilized aircraft and troops in anticipation of potential emergencies caused by the adverse weather.
Monsoon rains and adverse weather have affected Sri Lanka since May. Floods and landslides had already claimed 16 lives in June.
References:
1 Sri Lanka closes schools as floods hammer the capital – AP – October 14, 2024
2 Sri Lanka, torrential rains and flooding: 130,000 displaced and schools closed – Asia News – October 15, 2024
3 Three people killed and 7,000 forced to leave homes as heavy rainfall causes floods in Sri Lanka – Independent – October 14, 2024
Featured image credit: Voice of America (stillshot)
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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