Friday | 7th November 2025
Typhoon Kalmaegi carved a path of destruction across Southeast Asia this week, leaving hundreds dead and entire communities in ruins from the Philippines to Vietnam. The monster storm — one of the strongest ever recorded to hit Vietnam — battered the region with torrential rain, hurricane-force winds, and catastrophic flooding that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
A Trail of Destruction Across Two Nations
Kalmaegi first slammed into the central Philippines on Tuesday, unleashing days of relentless rain and powerful winds that flattened villages and inundated entire towns. Officials said at least 188 people were killed, most of them in Cebu province, a major tourist destination that became one of the hardest-hit areas. Thousands remain missing or injured as rescuers continue to dig through mud and collapsed buildings in search of survivors.
Drone footage captured harrowing scenes of devastation — neighborhoods submerged in muddy water, cars stacked like toys, and residents wading through waist-deep floods to reach safety. In Talisay City, impoverished riverside communities were wiped out as the swollen Mananga River overflowed, carrying homes and debris downstream.
“We don’t have any home anymore,” said Mely Saberon, a 52-year-old resident who lost everything. “We’ve been through many typhoons, but this one was different — it took everything from us.”
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national calamity Thursday, mobilizing military and emergency teams for relief operations. Food, water, and medical aid are being rushed to temporary shelters housing tens of thousands of displaced people.
Kalmaegi’s Landfall in Vietnam
By Thursday night, the storm had regained strength over the South China Sea before barreling into central Vietnam with sustained winds of up to 125 mph (200 km/h), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It made landfall near Quang Ngai province, ripping roofs off buildings, uprooting trees, and knocking out power to more than one million residents.
At least five people were killed and seven injured, while three fishermen remain missing after being swept to sea off Ly Son Island, state media reported. The Vietnamese government ordered mass evacuations — more than 500,000 residents, many transported by boat, were moved to higher ground before the storm hit.
Heavy rainfall caused catastrophic flooding in already saturated regions. In Dak Lak province, more than 354 millimeters (14 inches) of rain fell in just six hours, inundating homes and cutting off roads. The deluge came as the country was still reeling from historic floods last week that submerged the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An and the former imperial capital Hue, killing more than a dozen people.
A Perfect Storm of Vulnerability
While Kalmaegi was not the strongest storm by wind speed, meteorologists said its slow movement and torrential rainfall made it exceptionally deadly. “Water is almost always the number one killer,” said CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward, noting that flash floods and landslides caused the majority of fatalities.
Cebu’s rugged terrain funneled rainfall directly into populated lowlands, while clogged drainage systems and inadequate flood control infrastructure worsened the impact. “We need to rethink how we build our megacities and improve resiliency,” said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator of the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense, calling for long-term investments in urban drainage and climate-resilient infrastructure.
The disaster comes amid a major corruption scandal over flood control projects in the Philippines. Dozens of lawmakers and contractors have been accused of embezzling billions of pesos from public works budgets intended to protect flood-prone communities — sparking public outrage and mass protests in Manila earlier this year.
Another Storm Looms
Even as Vietnam and the Philippines assess the staggering losses, another tropical system — Tropical Storm Fung-Wong (known locally as Uwan) — is strengthening in the western Pacific. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center warned that it could intensify into a Category 3 or 4 typhoon over the weekend, threatening northern Luzon and parts of Taiwan with more rain and flooding.
Climate Crisis Intensifying Regional Storms
Scientists say Typhoon Kalmaegi’s scale and ferocity are part of a troubling pattern linked to human-driven climate change. The western Pacific is the world’s most active tropical cyclone basin, and global sea surface temperatures have reached record highs for eight consecutive years.
Warmer oceans act as fuel for typhoons, allowing them to rapidly intensify and retain strength longer over land. “The climate crisis is supercharging these storms,” said Dr. Lina Nguyen, a climatologist at the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology. “Warmer air holds more moisture, meaning when storms make landfall, they dump far more rain in shorter periods — overwhelming natural and built drainage systems.”
In September, Typhoon Ragasa similarly battered the region, causing widespread destruction in the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Kalmaegi’s devastation now stands as another grim reminder of the mounting toll of the climate emergency — one that experts warn will only worsen unless nations act swiftly to cut emissions and invest in adaptation.
A Region in Mourning
Across Cebu and central Vietnam, communities are beginning the painful process of recovery. Streets are lined with the remnants of homes — splintered wood, twisted metal, and waterlogged possessions. In evacuation centers, survivors share stories of loss and endurance.
“We’ve lost our homes, but we’re still alive,” said Marlon Enriquez, 58, from Cebu City. “Now, all we can do is rebuild.”
Emergency workers continue to clear debris and restore power, but with more storms forming in the Pacific, both nations are bracing for what could be a long and punishing recovery season — one that will test the limits of their resilience in a warming world.