Death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi surpasses 100 as Cebu province reels from record flooding

The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the central Philippines has climbed past 100, officials said, as the scale of devastation across Cebu province became clearer following the worst flooding in recent memory.

Unprecedented floodwaters tore through towns and cities on November 4, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties, and even massive shipping containers. Cebu province bore the brunt of the disaster. Provincial spokesman Rhon Ramos said that 35 bodies had been recovered from flooded areas in Liloan, a town within Cebu City’s metropolitan area — bringing the province’s toll to 76, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

On neighbouring Negros Island, at least 12 people were confirmed dead and another 12 were missing after torrential rains loosened volcanic mudflows that buried homes in Canlaon City, according to police Lieutenant Stephen Polinar. “Eruptions of Kanlaon volcano since last year deposited volcanic material on its upper sections. When the rain fell, those deposits rumbled down onto the villages,” he said.

An earlier government tally of 17 deaths outside Cebu included six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed while conducting typhoon relief operations.

Residents across Cebu described scenes of chaos as floodwaters surged through communities. “Around four or five in the morning, the water was so strong that you couldn’t even step outside,” said Reynaldo Vergara, 53, whose small shop in Mandaue was destroyed when a nearby river overflowed. “Nothing like this has ever happened. The water was raging.”

In Talisay, where an informal settlement was washed away, 26-year-old Regie Mallorca had already begun rebuilding. “This will take time because I don’t have the money yet. It will take months,” he said, mixing cement and sand amid the ruins. 

Weather specialist Charmagne Varilla noted that the area around Cebu City recorded 183 millimetres (seven inches) of rain in the 24 hours before Kalmaegi’s landfall — far exceeding the monthly average of 131 millimetres.

Provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as “unprecedented” and “devastating.”

Nearly 800,000 people were evacuated from the storm’s path. Scientists warn that such powerful and rain-laden typhoons are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change, as warmer oceans and air temperatures fuel rapid storm intensification and heavier rainfall.

Most deaths resulted from drowning as muddy floodwaters surged through towns and cities, destroying homes and infrastructure. Boats were used to rescue trapped residents. The Philippines, which averages 20 storms annually, has already endured back-to-back typhoons and a devastating earthquake in recent months, compounding the region’s vulnerability. Kalmaegi is now forecast to move toward Vietnam, already experiencing record rainfall.

By Vafa Guliyeva