Torrential rains have triggered flooding and landslides in communities across Asia. More than 1,200 people are dead in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. And there are fears the figure will climb higher in the days to come.
"I couldn't think of anything," said a 70-year-old man who evacuated with his dog by boat late last week in Hat Yai city, southern Thailand. "Everything has been wiped out."
And on the western Indonesian island of Sumatra, a young woman said the floods have left her community stunned. "This is one of the worst disasters we have experienced here. I've not seen anything like this in all my life."
The extreme weather started late last month. Authorities say 170 people are dead in Thailand, and 410 in Sri Lanka.
Sumatra has been hit especially hard, with some areas seeing over 300 millimeters of rain in a single day. Officials say the death toll there exceeds 700, adding that over 499 people are missing. The disaster has displaced many others. More than 500,000 have moved to emergency shelters in North Sumatra Province alone.
The disaster has taken a heavy toll on industries in all three countries. Officials at a financial research group in Thailand say damage to commercial facilities and farmland could total 25 billion baht, or more than 780 million dollars.
Many hotels and restaurants in the country are also affected. Experts say damage to the tourism industry could total 10 billion baht, or more than 310 million dollars.
Thailand is one of the world's leading producers of natural rubber, which is used to make car tires. But local media say many producers have been flooded. And they say the bill could exceed 60 million dollars.
Satellite images show some of the damage in Sumatra's Aceh Province. Vast mudslides can be seen flowing into the ocean from several locations.
Many people are wondering why the recent rains were so severe. Some climate and natural disaster experts point to the La Nina weather phenomenon, which occurs when waters off South America are cooler than normal.
"The wind changes direction, bringing humid air from the coast of South America to the Southeast Asia," says Thon Thamrongnawasawat, an assistant professor at Kasetsart University in Bangkok. "Global warming has also pushed ocean temperatures up, which increases the amount of vapor."
And Thon believes this one-two punch will likely spell more pain for Southeast Asia in the future. "La Nina and global warming will cause large disaster situations in various spots, especially Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines."
The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but leaders in the region are already keen to drum up support for what could become a major global relief effort.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited disaster-hit communities on Monday. He pledged to deliver fuel and other essential items as quickly as possible, and restore energy supplies to areas without power.
On Sunday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appealed for help from abroad, saying, "This is the first time a disaster like this has struck the entire country."
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