Typhoon Kalmaegi: Philippines declares state of emergency after storm kills at least 140

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr declared a state of emergency on Thursday after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 140 people and left another 127 missing in central provinces in the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country this year, as the storm headed towards Vietnam. Marcos’ emergency declaration, made during a meeting with disaster-response officials to assess the typhoon’s aftermath, would allow the government to disburse emergency funds faster and prevent food hoarding and overpricing. Floodwaters described as unprecedented rushed through Cebu province’s towns and cities this week, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even massive shipping containers. The national civil defence office confirmed on Thursday 114 reported deaths, though that tally did not include an additional 28 recorded by Cebu provincial authorities. In Liloan, a town near Cebu City, where 35 bodies have been recovered from flooded areas, cars still piled atop each other by floodwaters and roofs torn off buildings as residents attempted to dig out of the mud. Christine Aton’s sister Michelle, who has a disability, was among Liloan’s victims, trapped in her bedroom as the floodwaters rose inside their house. “We tried to pry open [her bedroom door] with a kitchen knife and a crowbar but it wouldn’t budge. Then the refrigerator started to float,” Aton, 29, said. “I opened a window and my father and I swam out. We were crying because we wanted to save my older sister. “But my father told me we couldn’t do anything for her, that all three of us might end up dead.” Chyros Roa, a 42-year-old father of two, said his family was saved by his dog’s barking when water rushed into their home in the early hours, giving them just enough time to reach their roof. “The current was really strong. We tried to call for rescue but no one came. We were told the rescuers were swept away by the current,” he said. State weather service meteorologist Benison Estareja said the rains along Kalmaegi’s path were 1.5 times the amount that would typically fall in Cebu for a full November, saying it was something that happened “once every 20 years”. The “highly urbanised” nature of the most-affected communities around Cebu City had made it even deadlier, he added. On Wednesday, residents busily cleaning up streets that had been rivers less than 24 hours earlier said they could remember nothing like it. “Around four or five in the morning, the water was so strong that you couldn’t even step outside,” said Reynaldo Vergara, 53, adding that everything in his small shop in Mandaue had been lost when a nearby river overflowed. “Nothing like this has ever happened. The water was raging.” “We did everything we can for the typhoon but, you know, there are really some unexpected things like flash floods,” Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said by telephone. Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful due to human-driven climate change. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to strengthen rapidly, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rainfall. Kalmaegi wind speeds were increasing on Thursday as it headed towards neighbouring Vietnam, where fear was mounting that the typhoon could compound the damage of a week of flooding that has already claimed 47 lives. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam late on Thursday, bringing waves as high as eight metres (26 feet) and powerful storm surges, according to the national weather bureau. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha urged local authorities to treat Kalmaegi as “urgent and dangerous”, calling it “a very abnormal” storm in a statement on Wednesday. Authorities have ordered thousands to evacuate from coastal communities, and in Quy Nhon city – just south of where Kalmaegi is forecast to make landfall – officials knocked on doors on Thursday warning people to flee. Ten typhoons or tropical storms usually affect Vietnam, directly or offshore, in a given year, but Typhoon Kalmaegi is set to be the 13th of 2025. The Philippines has already reached its average of 20 such storms a year with Kalmaegi, state weather specialist Charmagne Varilla said, adding at least “three to five more” storms could be expected by December’s end. Storm No 21 is already on its way, according to the state weather service. More than 1,500km (932 miles) to the country’s east, tropical storm Fung-wong is slowly building strength as it heads towards the Philippine’s main island of Luzon. It could reach super typhoon status before it makes landfall on Monday. Additional reporting by Associated Press

Typhoon Kalmaegi: Philippines declares state of emergency after storm kills at least 140

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Kalmaegi, which battered the country with deadly floods, is heading to Vietnam where officials are treating it as ‘dangerous’

Kalmaegi, which battered the country with deadly floods, is heading to Vietnam where officials are treating it as ‘dangerous’