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Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, hoping to bring essential supplies to those in desperate need.

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

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

But the deluge has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, 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 announced.

The military has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while humanitarian aid is flowing in from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations.

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

Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen

In a Colombo suburb, activists who protested in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that produces meals.

The demonstrations 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 a leadership shift. Now, that civic energy is being channelled toward cyclone relief.

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

"We reactivated the group as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.

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

Volunteers have gathered hundreds of requests for help, sent the information to authorities, and organized the delivery of food.

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

Online Initiatives for Support

A wave of coordination is also happening online, where social media users have created a public database to channel resources and volunteers.

Another community-run website helps supporters find relief camps and identify what is in highest demand in those areas.

Private companies have launched fundraising efforts, while media outlets have initiated an campaign to provide food and essential items like soap and toothbrushes.

Amid criticism over the handling of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "unite to restore the nation".

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

Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming 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.

"In the end, the joy of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.

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