The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has risen to 66, with the province of Cebu among the worst affected. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, streets are clogged with debris, and widespread flooding has upended daily life.
The national disaster agency reported on Wednesday, November 5, that 26 people remain missing and 10 others have been injured.
In Talisay City, residents searched through the ruins of their homes. Among them was 38-year-old Eilene Oken, who found her house completely destroyed. “We worked and saved for this for years, then in an instant, it was all gone,” she said, adding that she is grateful her family survived.
Flooding described as unprecedented in recent years swept away vehicles, trucks, and even large shipping containers.
Six of the fatalities were military personnel whose helicopter crashed on Mindanao while delivering aid to storm-hit communities. The destruction caused by Kalmaegi—locally known as Tino—comes just weeks after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Cebu, killing dozens and displacing thousands.
Kalmaegi, the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, weakened slightly after making landfall early Tuesday but is expected to strengthen again as it moves across the South China Sea. PAGASA said the storm was moving away from Palawan with sustained winds of up to 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts reaching 180 kph (112 mph).
More than 200,000 people were evacuated across the Visayas region, as well as parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, ahead of the storm, which submerged homes, caused massive power outages, and disrupted telecommunications.
Authorities had warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging” storm surges that could rise more than 3 meters along coastal communities. Over 180 flights were cancelled due to the severe weather.
Kalmaegi is now moving toward Vietnam, where it is expected to make landfall on Friday in the central region. The Vietnamese government is preparing for the worst, following a week of heavy flooding that killed at least 40 people and left six others missing.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed ministries and local authorities to activate the highest-level emergency response to protect lives and limit damage from the “very strong” approaching storm.
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