HDh. Kulhudhuffushi has seen relentless torrential downpours since last night, causing heavy flooding on large areas of the city, and flood water seeping into several homes and businesses.
Last night's downpour started at around 10:30pm, and the rains haven't stopped since.
Kulhudhuffushi Deputy Mayor Ali Ahmed said that as of this morning, 112 houses reported rain damage. Details of the damage caused are yet to be confirmed.
"Some of these houses reported that the rain has caused flooding inside their homes, while others reported damage to household goods. As the rain persists, we have not been able to confirm the extent of damage as of yet. We are, however, evacuating people from some of the more heavily affected homes and temporarily moving them to guesthouses as much as there is capacity to do so," he said.
National Disaster Management Authority said that as of now, over 190 homes in Kulhudhuffushi have reported being affected by flooding.
The areas most heavily affected by flooding are areas which have been prone to flooding previously as well. This includes the area where the atoll council offices were previously located, the Afeefuhdheen School area, and the official football grounds. The island's community centre has also been shut down due to flooding.
In addition to these areas, households located elsewhere on the island are also facing flooding, the Deputy Mayor said.
He stated that the council, MNDF, Police, RDC and some other institutions are collaboratively working on dewatering. Pumps have now been placed on five areas of the city. A trench has also been dug to direct the flood water to flow into the sea.
The Kulhudhuffushi Council has also established a temporary hotline to report rain damage to: 652 7211. They appealed for those in need of assistance due to flooding and other rain damage to reach out through this hotline.
Further, the council appeals for the city's residents to gather information necessary for damage assessment, as well as clear photos showing damage, and to share these via Viber on 722 1621.
Currently, there is a White Alert in place from Haa Alif atoll to Vaavu atoll, with the MET predicting strong winds of 19 to 24mph with gusts of 40mph and rough seas.
Until 10am this morning, the MET had issued a Yellow Alert from Haa Alif atoll to Baa atoll, with torrential rain and thunderstorms forecast.
