Heavy rain from different storms has caused very serious floods and landslides in several Asian countries. Almost one thousand people have died. Countries from Sri Lanka to Indonesia are using their armies for big rescue missions. Many communities are completely cut off by the water. Sri Lanka has asked for help from other countries, saying this is their worst natural disaster in twenty years.
The problems come from very strong monsoon rains and tropical storms. In Sri Lanka, a cyclone called Ditwah made the rains much worse. Parts of the capital city, Colombo, are under water, and there were dangerous mudslides in the mountains. At the same time, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are also dealing with extreme rain, flooding, and deaths.
The numbers are very sad. In Indonesia, at least 442 people have died and 402 are missing, mostly on Sumatra island. The government has sent navy ships with supplies and hospital ships to help. The president said, "The worst has passed, hopefully. The priority now is how to immediately send the necessary aid."
In Sri Lanka, 334 people are confirmed dead and many are missing. The government has declared a state of emergency. The military is using helicopters to rescue people and drop aid. This disaster is being compared to the terrible 2004 tsunami.
For people living there, the situation is terrible. Roads are destroyed and many homes are gone. One woman in Padang, Indonesia said, "My home and business are gone... I can only live near this one remaining wall." Thousands of people have lost everything.
Right now, the focus is on saving lives, sending food and medicine, and stopping disease. But the damage is huge and will take a very long time to fix. This event makes people ask important questions about being ready for disasters and planning for climate change.