Typhoon Kalmaegi Devastates Central Philippines: 26 Dead, Thousands Displaced
On November 4, 2025, Typhoon Kalmaegi
unleashed catastrophic flooding across the central Philippines, leaving at
least 26 people dead and displacing hundreds of thousands.
The island of Cebu bore the brunt of the storm, with entire towns submerged under muddy floodwaters. Videos verified by AFP showed cars, trucks, and even massive shipping containers swept away by the deluge.
In Cebu alone, 21 fatalities were confirmed,
with most victims reportedly drowning.
Among the dead were two children in Cebu City
and an elderly resident in Leyte province who drowned on an upper floor of
their home.
Another casualty in Bohol was a man struck by
a falling tree.
The storm delivered an unprecedented volume of rain, with Cebu City receiving 183 millimeters in just 24 hours, far exceeding its monthly average of 131 millimeters.
Provincial governor Pamela
Baricuatro described the situation as “unprecedented,” emphasizing that the
floodwaters, rather than the winds, posed the greatest danger.
Local disaster officials continued rescue
operations as many residents remained trapped. One survivor, Don del Rosario,
recounted how the water rose rapidly, becoming uncontrollable by 4:00 a.m.,
forcing people to seek refuge on higher floors.
The flooding was particularly devastating for
hundreds still living in tent cities following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that
struck Cebu in late September. These individuals were forcibly evacuated for
their safety. In total, nearly 400,000 people were preemptively relocated from
the typhoon’s path.
The storm’s intensity was further underscored
by sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 180 kilometers
per hour, which toppled trees and downed power lines as Kalmaegi moved westward
through the Visayan island chain.
Tragedy also struck the Philippine military
when a Super Huey helicopter deployed for relief efforts crashed en route to
Butuan City in northern Mindanao. Search and recovery operations were underway,
though officials declined to confirm if there were survivors.
Scientists have long warned that climate
change is intensifying storms. Warmer oceans fuel rapid typhoon development,
and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall.
Kalmaegi marked the 20th storm to hit the
Philippines this year, meeting the country’s annual average, with
meteorologists predicting at least three to five more storms before year’s end.
The Philippines had already endured two major storms in September, including
Super Typhoon Ragasa, which killed 14 people in Taiwan.
Kalmaegi’s destruction underscores the
vulnerability of disaster-prone regions in the Philippines, where millions live
in poverty and infrastructure struggles to withstand increasingly severe
weather events.
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