Typhoon Kalmaegi: 66 dead, widespread flooding devastates central Philippines

Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least 66 people and left 26 missing after sweeping across the central Philippines, officials said, with the highest toll reported in Cebu where flash floods forced residents onto rooftops and washed away vehicles. The storm battered parts of the archipelago on Tuesday before moving over the South China Sea with sustained winds up to 130 kph and gusts to 180 kph. A separate Philippine Air Force helicopter crash in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday killed six crew members en route to deliver humanitarian aid, the military reported. Local authorities have declared states of calamity, ordered mass evacuations and mobilised rescue teams as communities still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on 30 September face new displacement.

Key takeaways

• Fatalities: At least 66 confirmed dead across multiple provinces, with 26 people reported missing.
• Helicopter crash: Six people died when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur while en route to assist Kalmaegi victims.
• Winds: Kalmaegi produced sustained winds up to 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph) before moving west over the South China Sea.
• Cebu impact: Most deaths occurred in Cebu, a province of more than 2.4 million people, where flash floods and swollen waterways inundated residential areas.
• Evacuations and displacements: Authorities said more than 387,000 people were evacuated from eastern and central provinces ahead of landfall.
• Transport and services: More than 3,500 passengers and truck drivers were stranded at nearly 100 seaports; at least 186 domestic flights were cancelled.
• Storm surge and rainfall risk: Officials warned of torrential rains, damaging winds and storm surges up to three metres in exposed coastal areas.

Background

The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries, experiencing roughly 20 typhoons or tropical storms each year in addition to frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes. Many coastal and low-lying communities are vulnerable to storm surge and flash flooding because of geography and high population density. Disaster-management systems have improved in recent decades, but repeated, overlapping disasters — such as the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck on 30 September and the current typhoon — strain response capacity, logistics and shelter availability. Local governments regularly declare states of calamity to unlock emergency funds and expedite relief, yet damage to roads, bridges and communications often slows life-saving operations.

Preparation cycles before major storms typically include preemptive evacuation orders, suspension of marine travel, and the staged release of weather advisories by the national weather bureau. Despite these measures, rapid river rises, landslides and urban flooding remain primary causes of fatalities. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, low-income families living in informal settlements, and communities still displaced by prior disasters face heightened risk when new storms arrive. Humanitarian agencies and the military are commonly deployed in coordination with provincial and municipal authorities to deliver food, medical care and temporary shelter.

Main event

Kalmaegi made its strongest impact on Tuesday, inundating communities in central Philippines and prompting widespread rescue calls. In Cebu, swollen rivers and flash floods trapped residents on rooftops; many reported urgent pleas for help by phone as rising waters swept through neighbourhoods and carried away cars. Rescue teams and the Philippine Red Cross received large numbers of roof-rescue requests but were forced to delay some operations until floodwaters abated to reduce risk to emergency personnel.

Officials reported multiple fatalities across the central islands: an elderly villager in Southern Leyte drowned after floodwaters overtook a coastal town, and another resident in central Bohol died after being struck by a fallen tree. Hundreds of northern Cebu residents who had been displaced by the 30 September earthquake had been moved into sturdier evacuation shelters but still faced fresh disruption as Kalmaegi passed. Local authorities in Cebu declared a state of calamity to permit faster release of emergency funds and resources.

Separately, the military said six people died when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday while en route to deliver humanitarian assistance to areas affected by Kalmaegi. The armed forces provided no immediate details on the cause of the crash. Meanwhile, the coast guard barred ferries and fishing boats from leaving port as seas turned hazardous, leaving more than 3,500 passengers and cargo drivers stranded at nearly 100 seaports.

Analysis & implications

The immediate human cost — at least 66 dead and dozens missing — highlights how successive hazards compound vulnerability in the Philippines. Areas still recovering from the 6.9 quake of 30 September had reduced shelter capacity and weakened infrastructure, increasing exposure to floods and complicating relief logistics. The clustering of disasters creates cascading needs: damaged roads and bridges hinder supply chains, while overstretched local administrations face the dual tasks of search-and-rescue and restoring basic services.

Economically, floods and wind damage in densely populated provinces such as Cebu will disrupt commerce, agriculture and transport networks. Cebu is a major economic hub; extensive damage to homes, small businesses and transport nodes could slow regional economic activity for weeks to months. Fiscal pressure on national and provincial budgets will rise as authorities tap emergency funds and request national assistance for reconstruction and humanitarian support.

Politically and administratively, the event tests governance and preparedness systems. Rapid evacuation of 387,000 people indicates active early-warning procedures, but high casualty figures show limits to protection for the most vulnerable. International and domestic humanitarian actors may be called on for relief if local capacity proves insufficient, and lessons from the response will likely inform future public investments in flood control, resilient housing, and early-warning infrastructure.

Comparison & data

The table contextualises immediate human and logistical impacts of Kalmaegi alongside the 30 September earthquake that left 79 dead. While the earthquake primarily caused structural collapse and concentrated displacement, Kalmaegi’s damage pattern emphasises flooding, transport disruption and mass evacuation. Combined effect: overlapping humanitarian needs, higher logistical complexity for responders, and amplified recovery costs.

Reactions & quotes

Officials and aid organisations described intense rescue pressure and the need for caution to protect first responders. The Office of Civil Defense emphasized coordinated provincial response and emergency fund deployment to support rescue and relief operations.

We are receiving numerous calls from people trapped on rooftops; rescue efforts continue but teams must wait for waters to subside to avoid further casualties.

Gwendolyn Pang, Philippine Red Cross (humanitarian NGO)

The national military reported the helicopter crash while underlining that details remain under investigation; families of the victims are being notified and support is being arranged.

Our personnel were en route to deliver aid when the aircraft crashed; we are conducting inquiries to determine the cause.

Philippine Armed Forces (official statement)

Local leaders in Cebu declared a state of calamity to expedite the release of funds and coordinate relief across municipalities, noting that recovery will be complicated by the earlier earthquake’s toll on shelter and infrastructure.

Unconfirmed

• Detailed cause of the Agusan del Sur helicopter crash has not been publicly released and remains under military investigation.
• Some local casualty reports are still being reconciled with provincial tallies; exact missing-person locations and counts could change as search operations progress.

Bottom line

Kalmaegi has produced significant loss of life and infrastructure damage in parts of the central Philippines, particularly in Cebu, compounding the humanitarian toll from the 30 September earthquake. Immediate priorities are search-and-rescue, medical care for the injured, and safe shelter for thousands displaced by floodwaters and wind damage.

In the medium term, recovery will require coordinated funding, repair of critical transport and communications links, and investments in flood mitigation and resilient housing to reduce vulnerability to recurrent storms. The overlapping disasters underscore the need for sustained capacity-building in disaster-prone areas to protect lives and livelihoods against increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

Sources

• The Guardian (news report)
• Philippine Office of Civil Defense (official agency)
• Philippine Red Cross (humanitarian NGO)
• Philippine Coast Guard (official agency)
• Agence France-Presse (AFP) (international news agency)