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Local performer GK Reginold rides in a motorised fishing boat through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.

Many families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, isolated by the country's most severe weather disaster in memory.

Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of more than 400 people, with hundreds unaccounted for and destroyed 20,000 homes.

But the flooding has also inspired a surge in community help, as citizens face what national leaders has described as the "gravest natural disaster" in its history.

"My primary motivation for getting involved, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that."

More than one million people have been impacted by the disaster and a national emergency has been declared.

The military has sent helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is flowing in from foreign governments and aid groups.

But it will be a long journey to rebuild for the nation, which has seen its share of difficulties in recent years.

Community Organizers Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In Colombo's Wijerama neighbourhood, individuals who protested in 2022 are now helping run a makeshift kitchen that produces meals.

The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that civic energy is being channelled toward disaster response.

"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even used vacation time to be there," a social media activist states.

"We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

The organizer also considers the kitchen as an "extension" of his volunteer work in 2016, when torrential rain and floods killed hundreds across the country.

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.

"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he says.

Online Initiatives for Support

A flurry of activity is also happening online, where social media users have created a shared list to direct donations and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps donors find shelters and identify what is most needed in those areas.

Local businesses have organized fundraising efforts, while local television channels have started an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the handling of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".

Critics have claimed authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say worsened the disaster's effects.

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, arguing that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster.

On the ground, however, there remains a sense of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods.

"Ultimately, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that exhaustion fade," one volunteer wrote after working long hours at aid centers.

"Crises are not new to us. But, the empathy and capacity of our hearts is larger than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."