From www.weareus.org.uk

The church in Hatton, central Sri Lanka, is reaching out to parishioners after flash floods caused destruction and chaos.

A tropical cyclone east of the island nation caused torrential rain over two days, triggering flash floods and landslides. At least seven people died, and an estimated 115,000 have been forced to flee flooded homes.

We are sending an emergency grant for relief work to the local Anglican church in Hatton, where Us supports development work among tea plantation communities.

Us partner Fr Andrew Devadason sent the following report:

‘We were hit by severe rain and flooding on Monday – like a minor tsunami as far as the force of the water was concerned, destroying roads, bridges, walls and houses.

‘Water came inside the vicarage and the church precincts up to seven feet, washing almost everything away.

‘The water came very suddenly. A woman and her child died because the water forced their door of their home shut and they were trapped inside as the water level rose.

‘Electricity was disconnected for the region for safety reasons, so communication was difficult because we could not charge our phones.

‘The damage has been severe for all. Thankfully, I have also seen the grace of God in action. The catastrophe has brought out our great love and care for one another, so we can rejoice in the Lord for this show of human kindness.

‘The catastrophe is for the entire community, and I am just a part of it. The church and the vicarage need serious restoration.

‘I lost almost everything, for which I am not perplexed at all. I know the grace of God is sufficient to provide for my family. However, there are families in my parish for whom I am seeking assistance.

‘My parishioners, the youth, and members of neighbouring churches are all helping to clean the area. And two local tea plantation estates are providing workers.

‘The bad news is that the rain has not yet stopped. As a result, there are landslides. If the rain continues, the situation will be much worse.

‘Please pray that the rain will stop, that disease will not spread, and for speedy recovery.’

• Please make a donation to Us to help boost our Rapid Response Fund, so we can send grant for emergency relief work in times of natural disaster.