Typhoon Kalmaegi devastates Philippines: At least 5 dead, hundreds of thousands evacuated
Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall in the central Philippines on the morning of November 4, killing at least five people and forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate. The storm caused “unprecedented” flooding in Cebu province, before moving towards the East Sea.
The storm brought torrential rains and strong winds, with Philippine authorities struggling to cope with devastating flooding, particularly on the island of Cebu, according to AFP and Reuters.
The Philippines' national disaster agency confirmed at least five people were killed, including two children in Cebu City, an elderly man who drowned on the upper floor of his home in Leyte province, and a man hit by a falling tree in Bohol.
Nearly 400,000 people were evacuated in an emergency before the storm made landfall.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as "truly unprecedented". "We were expecting the wind, but... it was the floodwaters that really put our people at risk. The floodwaters were devastating," she said.
In just 24 hours, the area around Cebu City received 183 mm of rain, far exceeding the monthly average of 131 mm.
Videos showed entire towns submerged. Cars, trucks and even giant shipping containers were swept away by the muddy floodwaters. Hundreds of people, still living in tents after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in late September, were “forced to evacuate” for safety.
"The water rose so fast. By 4 a.m., the situation was out of control. In our 28 years of living here, this is the worst we have ever experienced," said Don del Rosario, 28, a resident of Cebu City.
At the time of landfall in the early morning of November 4, Typhoon Kalmaegi had sustained winds of 150 km/h, gusts of up to 205 km/h. As of 2:00 p.m. (local time), the storm was moving westward through the Visayan island chain with winds of 130 km/h, gusts of 180 km/h.
The Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical Agency (PAGASA) forecasts the storm will move out into the East Sea on November 5.
Storm Kalmaegi is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam on the night of November 6.
Scientists warn that hurricanes are becoming more powerful due to climate change. Warmer oceans allow storms to intensify rapidly, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rains.
