Dozens dead as typhoon slams Philippines

What happened

At least 85 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced after Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the central Philippines on Tuesday. Another 75 people are missing. The destructive winds and devastating flooding hit the heavily populated island of Cebu particularly hard.

Who said what

The destruction in Cebu is “really unprecedented,” provincial Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said on social media. “We did everything we can” to prepare for the typhoon, she told The Associated Press, “but, you know, there are really some unexpected things like flash floods.” The storm sent “torrents of muddy water down hillsides” and into communities, the BBC said. “Most of the deaths” were from drowning.

Cebu residents told how “floodwater engulfed the first floors of their houses in just a few minutes, sending them scrambling to upper floors or roofs in panic,” the AP said. Footage shows homes “with only rooftops and top floors visible,” CNN said. Kalmaegi struck as Cebu was “still trying to recover” from a deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake in late September, The Weather Channel said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Latest Videos From

What next?

The Philippines is expecting “three to five more” storms by the end of the year, state weather forecaster Charmagne Varilla told Al Jazeera. Kalmaegi “moved west” into the South China Sea early today, “headed toward Vietnam,” The New York Times said. Central Vietnam and Thailand are braced for heavy rains from the typhoon starting Friday and through the weekend.