Colombo could experience worst floods in decades tomorrow night - officials warn

The Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), stated that the police and tri-forces are actively reaching affected areas to rescue people impacted by the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

He made the statement during a media briefing held at the Defence Headquarters this afternoon (28) to raise awareness about the ongoing disaster situation.

The Defence Secretary urged affected residents to follow the instructions issued by Grama Niladhari Officers and emphasized that arrangements are being made to provide essential food items and ensure people stay in safe locations.

He added that aircraft, naval boats, and military personnel have been deployed to assist in rescue operations, although adverse weather has hindered some efforts. 

An operations room has been established at the Army Headquarters to coordinate all disaster management activities, and 20,500 Army personnel have been deployed to rescue affected individuals.

The President has assigned the responsibility of providing food to all victims of adverse weather to the tri-services, the Army Commander confirmed. 

So far, 4,766 people have been rescued, although contacting some Divisional Secretaries has proven difficult.

Meanwhile, the Navy Commander reported that 141 Navy relief teams are currently on standby, with 32 deployed, focusing on flood rescue operations and facilitating safe travel, particularly assisting fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Air Force has deployed six helicopters for relief operations. The Air Force Commander stated that adverse weather has hampered these efforts, but 1,600 Air Force personnel have already contributed to rescue operations, primarily in the Badulla and Kandy districts.

The Defence Secretary further stated that an inquiry has been made with the Indian High Commission to utilize aircraft from an Indian warship for rescue operations, though takeoff has been difficult due to ongoing weather conditions.

Director General of the Department of Meteorology, Athula Karunanayake, said that the cyclone is currently located 40 kilometers inland from Trincomalee, and rainfall will continue, with possible quantitative changes. 

Heavy rains are expected in the Northern, North Central, North Western, Western, and Sabaragamuwa provinces, with 150 mm of rain predicted in Galle and Matara. 

Winds of 60–70 km/h, gusting up to 80 km/h, may occur, and sea waves are expected to rise by 2–3 meters. 

The impact of the cyclone on the Southern Province is expected to decrease by tomorrow, he said.

The Director General of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) emphasized that saving lives is the top priority and urged people to evacuate immediately when warnings are issued. 

In some areas, the police had to assist in evacuations, and officials sometimes had to leave areas before danger reached them.

Currently, 44,192 families across 285 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in 25 districts have been affected by the disaster.

 42 houses have been completely destroyed, and 2,810 houses partially damaged, with Rs. 2.5 million allocated for each affected house.

Director General of the Irrigation Department, Engineer Ajith Gunasekara, reported that more than 50 large-scale tanks and over 50 medium-scale tanks are overflowing. 

According to the water gauge in Avissawella, Colombo is expected to experience flooding worse than the 2016 floods tomorrow night (29), as the water level in the Kelani River continues to rise, he added.