The Philippines government has declared a state of calamity after Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the strongest storms to hit the country this year, caused severe flooding and left at least 114 people dead.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced the decision on Thursday following the devastation across several regions, especially in Cebu, the country’s most populated island. Officials said 71 deaths were recorded in Cebu alone, while 127 people remain missing and 82 others injured.
Provincial authorities also confirmed an additional 28 deaths not yet included in the national count released by the civil defence office.
Marcos explained that the declaration was necessary given the widespread destruction and the looming arrival of another storm, Uwan, expected over the weekend.
“Almost 10 to 12 regions will be affected,” he told local media. “If that many areas are involved, with that kind of scope, then it’s a national calamity.”
Under Philippine law, a state of calamity allows government agencies to tap emergency funds and fast-track aid and relief distribution to affected communities.
Most of the deaths have been linked to drowning after floodwaters swept through homes and towns. Officials described the flooding as “unprecedented,” with houses washed away and thick layers of mud covering the streets.
More than 400,000 people have been displaced in Cebu, home to about 2.5 million residents.
Jel-an Moira Servas, a business owner from Mandaue City, said her family barely escaped after floodwaters filled their home within minutes.
“Right now, the rain has stopped and the sun is out, but our houses are still full of mud,” she said. “Everything inside is ruined. We don’t even know where to start cleaning.”
A military helicopter sent for relief operations in Mindanao also crashed on Tuesday, killing six crew members.
Volunteer rescuer Carlos Jose Lañas said the flooding overwhelmed even trained emergency teams.
“This is the worst flood I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “Almost all the rivers in Cebu overflowed. Even responders did not expect this kind of scenario.”
Typhoon Kalmaegi, known locally as Tino, is the 20th tropical cyclone to strike the Philippines this year. It exited the country early Thursday and is now heading toward central Vietnam, where authorities are preparing for possible flash floods and landslides.
The storm’s sustained winds have increased to 155 km/h as it moves westward. Over 50 flights in Vietnam have already been cancelled or delayed.
Kalmaegi’s arrival comes barely a month after two other typhoons, Ragasa and Bualoi, battered the Philippines, killing more than a dozen people and damaging farmlands.
The country, located in the Pacific typhoon belt, experiences an average of 20 tropical storms each year.
