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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a small craft through Colombo's suburbs, aiming to deliver essential supplies to those in desperate need.

Some of the families, Mr Reginold says, have not received aid for days, cut off by the South Asian island nation's worst weather disaster in memory.

The powerful storm struck the country last week, bringing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and leveled 20,000 homes.

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

"My primary motivation why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was deeply gratified that I was able to do that."

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

The armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

But it will be a lengthy process to rebuild for the nation, which has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent years.

Community Organizers Pitch In at Community Kitchen

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

The protests from three years ago were fuelled by a spiralling economic crisis that caused shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward cyclone relief.

"Some volunteers came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave to be there," a social media activist explains.

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

The organizer also considers the kitchen as an "continuation" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods killed hundreds across the country.

The team have compiled hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and organized the distribution of food.

"Whatever we asked for, we got more than enough in response from the community," he says.

Digital Campaigns for Aid

A wave of coordination is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a public database to direct donations and volunteers.

Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find shelters and see what is in highest demand in those areas.

Local businesses have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.

Facing criticism over the management of storm readiness, the president has urged citizens to "put aside all divisions" and "come together to restore the nation".

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

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

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

"In the end, the satisfaction of helping someone else in a crisis makes that exhaustion fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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