"Torrential rains from Cyclone Ditwah have submerged entire communities in Sri Lanka, forcing local authorities to declare a nationwide state of emergency after the storm left at least 334 people dead. Footage from Kaduwela on Sunday shows residents wading through knee-deep floodwaters and trying to salvage what remains of their belongings. "Since last night, we have moved our belongings outside. I am very sad about this situation. We request that the government do something for us," said Diyasini, a local resident. The state of emergency was declared on Saturday, as rising waters from the Kelani River forced evacuation orders that remain in effect across several districts. "Currently, there is no access to Athuragure Road from this way. If there is an alternative on the other side, it will be about two kilometres from here. There may be even more flooding in this area," warned Dhurusha Herat, another resident. Herat says many neighbourhoods uphill are completely inundated, with some residents unable to access shelters. "They don't have any access to food or any sanitary items or anything like that." he added. Cyclone Ditwah brushed past Sri Lanka's eastern coast on Friday before moving away from the island. The country is in its monsoon season, but officials say extreme weather of this scale is rare. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called it the 'most challenging natural disaster' in Sri Lanka's history, adding that the scale of destruction was so vast that reconstruction costs would be high. The Disaster Management Centre said some 20,000 homes have been destroyed, forcing 108,000 people into state-run shelters. Meanwhile, officials said that about a third of the country was without electricity or running water, with around 400 still missing in the aftermath. Authorities warn that more heavy rainfall linked to Cyclone Ditwah is expected in the coming days. The government has appealed for international assistance and urged Sri Lankans abroad to help support affected communities."