Typhoon Kalmaegi Devastates Cebu, Leaving 85 Dead and Thousands Displaced

CEBU, Philippines — Typhoon Kalmaegi has caused severe destruction in the central Philippines, leading to at least 85 deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands. The storm struck early Tuesday, flooding entire towns on Cebu, the most populated central island, where 49 fatalities have been reported. Officials noted that 75 individuals remain missing and 17 have sustained injuries.

Videos from the region showed residents taking refuge on rooftops as floodwaters swept away cars and shipping containers. Among the dead are six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed on Mindanao island, south of Cebu, during relief efforts on Tuesday. The Philippine Air Force stated that communication with the helicopter was lost, prompting a search and rescue operation, which has since recovered the bodies of the pilot and crew.

Although Typhoon Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, has weakened, it continues to produce winds exceeding 80 mph (130 km/h). The typhoon is expected to move across the Visayas islands and into the South China Sea by Wednesday. However, residents in Cebu province are still dealing with the aftermath of the devastating floods. According to the national disaster agency, over 400,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes.

Local business owner Jel-an Moira Servas described her experience, stating she found herself waist-deep in water shortly after her house flooded. Servas and her family evacuated with only essential items. “Right now, the rain has stopped and the sun is out, but our houses are still filled with mud, and everything inside is in shambles,” she said, expressing the overwhelming nature of the disaster.

Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defence, reported that rescuers are struggling to clear debris and vehicles blocking roads. Volunteer rescuer Carlos Jose Lañas remarked that despite preparations, the flooding was beyond their expectations. “This is the worst flood I’ve ever experienced,” he stated.

Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro labeled the disaster “unprecedented,” emphasizing that the floodwaters posed a greater risk than the storm itself. She declared a state of calamity in Cebu on Tuesday to streamline relief efforts.

Most fatalities are attributed to drowning, with floods sending torrents of muddy water into towns and cities, devastating residential areas. Rescue teams have resorted to boats to rescue stranded individuals. Don del Rosario, a resident of Cebu City, described the scene: “I’ve been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we’ve experienced.”

The Philippines faces an average of 20 storms and typhoons annually, with Kalmaegi hitting shortly after previous storms caused significant fatalities and infrastructure damage, including Super Typhoon Ragasa and Typhoon Bualoi in late September. Recent months have also seen widespread flooding following a particularly wet monsoon season.

Typhoon Kalmaegi is projected to continue onto Vietnam, where it is expected to bring record-breaking rainfall.