Torrential rain flooded about 85 percent of homes in Gaafu Alif Kolamaafushi and left residents of 25 houses temporarily displaced.
The rain began on the afternoon of 6 November and continued until about 9:30 pm. Water entered roughly 60 houses, reaching depths of up to two feet in some properties. Household goods, furniture and electrical appliances were damaged. The island’s health centre was also affected, and power outages were reported in several homes. At least one residence experienced sewage overflow.
Kolamaafushi Council Vice President Shahamath Haneef said residents and the council worked with the Maldives National Defence Force to dig drainage channels and use pumps to clear the water. The National Disaster Management Authority confirmed that streets have largely been cleared but water remains inside many houses.
A team from the MNDF Southern Area Command was deployed with industrial pumps and sandbags. The island has since returned to a more normal state, although recovery work continues for the worst-affected households.
The flooding is part of a wider pattern of heavy rainfall linked to the southwest monsoon. The Maldives Meteorological Service has warned of further rain and possible flooding across the country in the coming days.
Similar flooding has been reported on other islands in recent weeks, including in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.
