Typhoon Kalmaegi has unleashed its fury on the central Philippines, becoming the 20th storm to strike the nation this year. This unprecedented storm has already taken at least 85 lives. It has left dozens dead or missing, forcing widespread evacuations and causing major destruction to both infrastructure and homes.
Kalmaegi was the fourth typhoon to hit the Visayas region in six weeks. It brought catastrophic flooding and led to the evacuation of over 200,000 people from their homes. The typhoon especially hit the hardest-hit province of Cebu, with the floodwaters now receded to expose a shocking aftermath. Most residents, of course, were still reeling from the abrupt onslaught of destruction. Their son, Marlon Enriquez, summed up their excitement better than anyone, remarking, “This is the first time that’s ever happened to us.…I’ve lived here almost 16 years and that was the first time I’d ever had flooding on my home like that.”
The country’s disaster agency says at least 75 more people are still missing following the storm. Most immediately, search and rescue operations are still ongoing in Mexico’s hardest hit areas. Kalmaegi’s reach went beyond Cebu as it had direct impact to southern Luzon and northern Mindanao. Tragically, a helicopter on a humanitarian mission crashed in Agusan del Sur. This tragic incident took the lives of six service members.
As Kalmaegi approaches the South China Sea, meteorological predictions say that it will gain even more strength. In direct response to this looming threat, China has recently stepped up its warnings over what it describes as a South China Sea “catastrophic wave process.” They have activated their maritime disaster emergency response in Hainan province.
In Cebu, scenes of destruction have emerged as families assess their losses. Eilene Oken, a resident impacted by the storm’s devastation, shared her heartache: “We worked and saved for this for years, then in an instant, it was all gone.”
While the Philippine government is still working to ensure efficient coordination of all relief efforts, the country is currently focused on recovery from this disaster. Typhoon Kalmaegi is forecast to make landfall in Vietnam this Friday. Officials in both countries have thus far remained alert while awaiting the decision’s early potential impact.
