Daijiworld Media Network – Manila

Manila, Nov 5: The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi has risen to 66, with the central province of Cebu suffering the heaviest devastation as the Philippines reels under its worst flooding in decades.

According to Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Civil Defence Office, 49 deaths were reported in Cebu alone, while 26 people remain missing. “All the floods have subsided. Our challenge now is clearing the debris that’s blocking our roads,” he told local radio station DZMM.

Residents across the province were seen cleaning streets littered with wreckage. “The flood yesterday was really severe,” said Reynaldo Vergara, a local shopkeeper whose business was completely washed away. “The river overflowed, and the water was raging — nothing like this has ever happened before.”

In the 24 hours before Kalmaegi’s landfall, Cebu City received 183 mm of rain, surpassing its monthly average of 131 mm, according to weather specialist Charmagne Varilla. Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro described the flooding as “unprecedented,” saying, “We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but it’s the water that truly put our people at risk.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine military confirmed that a Super Huey helicopter assisting in typhoon relief operations crashed on northern Mindanao island, killing six personnel, including two pilots.

As of Wednesday morning, Typhoon Kalmaegi was moving westward toward Palawan, packing winds of 120 km/h and gusts up to 165 km/h. Nearly 400,000 residents were evacuated before the storm’s arrival.

Scientists have long warned that climate change is intensifying tropical storms, with warmer oceans fueling stronger typhoons and heavier rainfall.

Kalmaegi is the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, matching the country’s annual average, with forecasters warning that up to five more storms may strike before December ends.