Typhoon Kalmaegi Devastates Vietnam; Philippines Braces for Another Storm
DAK LAK, Vietnam — Typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into Vietnam on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction across the country’s central provinces. The storm killed at least five people, uprooted trees, flattened homes, and triggered widespread flooding. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, survivors of Kalmaegi’s earlier devastation were still reeling from the loss of over 200 lives, as the country braced for yet another potentially catastrophic storm.
In Vietnam, residents of Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces began cleaning up the debris left by the powerful typhoon. The storm’s winds and heavy rains caused widespread power outages, leaving over 1.6 million households without electricity. Homes were torn apart, and entire communities faced significant damage to infrastructure. In some areas, entire factories lost their roofs, and floodwaters swept through streets, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
While the skies cleared over Dak Lak on Friday, the devastation was evident. Streets were littered with fallen branches and twisted sheets of metal, while many homes stood with their roofs blown off. Families rushed to repair what they could as the cleanup began in earnest. However, for many, the emotional toll of the storm’s destruction was immeasurable.
In the Philippines, the impact of Kalmaegi’s passage earlier in the week was still being felt. The typhoon had left at least 204 people dead and more than 100 missing, according to the Philippines Office of Civil Defense. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes, many of them seeking refuge in shelters or with relatives. As the recovery effort continued, survivors shared stories of sorrow and survival.
Jimmy Abatayo, a survivor from Cebu, was among those mourning his tremendous losses. His wife and nine relatives were swept away by the flooding, and he has been left with the heartbreaking guilt of not being able to save them. “I told them to swim, I told them to be brave,” Abatayo said, his voice breaking. “But they didn’t hear me. I will never see them again.”
In Cebu, the death toll was particularly severe, with many victims drowning in the rapidly rising floodwaters. Villagers gathered at makeshift funeral parlors, which had been set up in local gymnasiums, to say their final goodbyes. As mourners wept over the coffins of loved ones, the sense of loss was palpable.
In response to the ongoing devastation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national emergency. During his visit to Cebu, he acknowledged the unusual volume of rain that had overwhelmed the region’s flood control systems. Rivers quickly overflowed, causing widespread flooding that displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
As the Philippines began its long road to recovery, authorities warned that another storm was on the horizon. Typhoon Fung-Wong, locally known as Uwan, was expected to make landfall early next week, threatening further destruction. Meteorologists predicted that Fung-Wong would cover a vast area before reaching the northern provinces of Aurora and potentially impacting the capital region, Manila.
The Toll on Vietnam
Meanwhile, Vietnam continued to grapple with the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi. In addition to the five confirmed deaths, authorities reported several people still missing. The storm’s fury left nearly 2,600 homes damaged, with more than 2,400 of those in Gia Lai province alone. The storm’s destruction was widespread, affecting everything from residential homes to power lines and communications infrastructure.
In Binh Dinh province, flooding from the storm caused significant damage to factories, and in the coastal city of Quy Nhon, residents were left to clean up after metal roofs and household items were scattered across streets by the high winds.
Vietnam, which faces multiple tropical storms every year, had already been dealing with severe flooding earlier in the year. This included storms like Typhoon Ragasa, which in September had dumped record-breaking rainfall across the central region, causing extensive damage. Authorities said more than 537,000 people had been evacuated, many of them by boat, as floodwaters surged to dangerous levels.
The country’s vulnerability to typhoons is exacerbated by its geographic location and the ongoing effects of climate change. Experts have warned that rising global temperatures are intensifying storms and rainfall in Southeast Asia, making typhoons more powerful and frequent. Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, explained that Kalmaegi and Fung-Wong were among the 27 storms named this year alone, well above the typical seasonal average of 23 storms.
“These storms are becoming stronger and more frequent,” said Corbosiero. “The warm waters in the region fuel these storms throughout much of the year, and there’s no end in sight.”
Preparing for the Next Storm
As the Philippines and Vietnam recover from the devastation caused by Kalmaegi, both countries are bracing for more storms. The Philippines’ preparedness for typhoons is continually tested, with the nation experiencing around 20 storms each year. For Vietnam, the situation is no different, as the country faces the possibility of more intense storms in the coming months.
Local authorities are working tirelessly to restore power and rebuild homes, while also preparing for the impact of Typhoon Fung-Wong. The storm is expected to hit the Philippines’ northern provinces by Sunday evening or Monday morning, potentially sparing the densely populated capital region. Still, the possibility of widespread flooding and further devastation has locals on edge.
For now, residents across both nations are focused on rebuilding what they can while bracing for the next wave of storms. The pain of loss and the uncertainty of the future are ever-present as communities across Southeast Asia face the grim realities of a changing climate and its increasing toll.
