LILOAN – Typhoon Kalmaegi has claimed at least 142 lives and left 127 others missing after causing catastrophic flooding across central Philippines, officials reported Thursday. The storm is currently moving towards Vietnam and has been identified as the deadliest typhoon worldwide in 2025.
In Cebu province, floodwaters swept through towns and cities, carrying away vehicles, homes, and even massive shipping containers. National civil defence authorities confirmed 114 fatalities, with an additional 28 reported by Cebu provincial officials. More than 500,000 people remain displaced. In Liloan, a town near Cebu City, 35 bodies have been recovered, with residents recounting harrowing escapes from rapidly rising waters.
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Eyewitnesses described floodwaters so strong that they could not step outside safely. Christine Aton recounted losing her sister, who was trapped in their home, while Chyros Roa credited his family’s survival to their dog’s barking, which alerted them to evacuate to their roof.
President Ferdinand Marcos declared a “state of national calamity,” enabling the release of emergency funds and price controls on essential goods. Meteorologists warned that rainfall in Cebu during Kalmaegi’s passage was 1.5 times the typical November average, describing the event as occurring “once every 20 years.”
Meanwhile, tropical storm Fung-wong, located over 1,500 kilometers east of the Philippines, is expected to strengthen into a super typhoon and make landfall on Luzon on Monday. Scientists note that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of storms, with warmer oceans and atmospheres fueling stronger winds and heavier rains.
Read More: Torrential rains submerge Central Vietnam, 11 missing and 13 dead
Kalmaegi is forecast to hit central Vietnam late Thursday, bringing waves up to eight meters (26 feet) and dangerous storm surges. Authorities in Vietnam have ordered evacuations, with Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha urging that the typhoon be treated as “urgent and dangerous.” This will be the 13th typhoon or tropical storm to affect Vietnam this year, exceeding the annual average.