CEBU CITY, Philippines — The number of fatalities from Typhoon Kalmaegi has risen to at least 40, local officials reported Tuesday, as relentless rains and fierce winds pounded central areas of the Philippines, triggering widespread flooding and urgent evacuations.
The storm — known locally as Tino — weakened slightly after making landfall early Tuesday, but continued to bring destructive conditions while crossing the Visayas region. Wind speeds remained strong, reaching up to 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph), with gusts of up to 180 kph (112 mph) as the system advanced toward northern Palawan before heading into the South China Sea.
LOOK: Governor Pamela Baricuatro has issued Executive Order No. 68, declaring Cebu under a State of Calamity as Typhoon Tino’s destructive impact continues to unfold. The order was signed Tuesday evening, November 4, 2025.
Most of the confirmed deaths occurred in Cebu province, where floodwaters surged rapidly through communities, according to Cebu provincial information officer Ainjeliz Orong. Rescue teams also confirmed one fatality in Bohol, the national disaster agency said.
Orong noted that the sudden jump in the casualty count came as first responders gained access to previously unreachable areas.
“Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and some residents are still missing,” she said, adding that drowning and collapsing structures were the primary causes of death.
Authorities said tens of thousands of residents in the Visayas, parts of southern Luzon, and northern Mindanao were forced to leave their homes. Power outages persisted across much of Cebu on Tuesday night, while communication lines remained unstable. Transportation was heavily disrupted, with more than 180 flights canceled and vessels ordered to seek shelter.
The national weather bureau earlier warned of dangerous storm surges possibly exceeding 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) in coastal and low-lying areas — raising concerns for communities already inundated.
Neighboring Vietnam has also declared heightened alert as Kalmaegi tracks closer to its central coast. Authorities there are preparing emergency measures, noting that the region has already been hit by deadly floods in recent days.
“This is an extremely strong system that continues to intensify over open waters,” the Vietnamese government said in a statement.
The Philippines, struck by roughly 20 tropical cyclones each year, has endured a wave of natural disasters in recent months, including major storms and strong earthquakes. In September, Northern Luzon was battered by Super Typhoon Ragasa, which brought significant disruptions to schools and government operations.
Kalmaegi is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility late Wednesday or early Thursday, forecasters said.
