Typhoon Kalmaegi is making landfall in Vietnam after killing more than 140 people in the Philippines

Nha Trang, Vietnam – Thshoon Kalmaegi even entered Vietnam on Thursday after killing more than 140 people in the Philippines, making landfall in the north of Gia Lai Province in Central Vietnam and heavy rain.

The storm struck as the central states were reeling from days of record-breaking rainfall. Forecasters warned that Kalmaegi could dump more than 24 centimeters of additional rain in some areas, raising fears of deadly land and flash floods.

Power outages were reported in several states, with trees uprooted and roofs tearing apart homes. Authorities also warned of the risk of flooding in major cities, including Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Kalmaegi killed at least 142 people and left another 127 missing after devastating floods swept across the Central Philippines before heading to Vietnam, official figures showed Thursday.

The typhoon is the most distant around the world in 2025, according to the disaster database e-dat. Trami, which also beat the Philippines, was the third deadliest enemy in 191 years.

Floods described as flash floods swept through towns and cities in Cebu this week, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even large shipping containers.

The National Civil Defense Office on Thursday confirmed 114 Deads, although that number does not include the additional 28 recorded by the CEB provincial authorities. More than 500,000 Filipinos remain behind.

In Liloan, a town close to Cebu City where 35 bodies were found, AFP reporters saw cars tied to each other as residents dug in the mud.

Christine Aton’s sister Michelle, who is disabled, was among Liloan’s victims, trapped in her bedroom as the floodwaters rose inside their home.

“We tried to open (his bedroom door) with a kitchen knife and a concrete knife but it wouldn’t open…. The fridge freezer started floating,” Aton, 29, said.

“I opened the window and my father and I cried. We were crying because we wanted to save my older sister. But my father told me that we can’t do anything for her, that we both can do it for her.”

Chyros Roa, a 42-year-old father, said his family was saved by his dog’s barking when the water started flowing into their home in the morning, giving them enough time to reach their roof.

“What is happening right now was really strong. We tried to ask for rescue, but no one came. We were told that the rescuers were washed away,” he said.

On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos declared a “state of national emergency,” a move that allows the government to free up aid and set prices for basic necessities.

“Unfortunately, there is another (typhoon) coming with the possibility of being very strong,” said Marcos during the afternoon briefing.

More than 930 kilometers to the east of the country, Tropical Cyclone Funds-Wong is building strength as it heads towards the main Philippine island of Filon. It could reach Super Typhoon status before making landfall on Monday.

State Weather Sect Seeteorologist Benison Estareja told AFP The rains near Kalmaegi’s path are 1.5 times the amount that usually falls on Cebu during a full week, once every 20 years. “

The “very new” type of community that is most affected in Cebu City has made it very exciting, he added.

“About four or five in the morning, the water was so strong that you couldn’t even go outside,” said Reynaldo Vergara, 53, adding that everything in his small shop in Mandaue was flooded when the nearby river overflowed. Nothing like this has ever happened. The water was full. “

In a radio interview, State Governor Pamela Baricuatro called the situation “unprecedented.”

Scientists warn that hurricanes exist Becoming more resilient due to human-driven climate change. Warmer oceans allow storms to strengthen faster, and warmer climates hold more moisture, which means heavier rain.

Kalmaegi’s windspeeds continued to increase on Thursday as it headed toward Vietnam in the neighboring Gulf, where fears of a storm surge could add to the damage of a week of floods that have already claimed 47 lives.

The typhoon is forecast to pass over Central Vietnam late Thursday, bringing waves as high as 26 feet and strong winds, according to the weather forecast.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Hong HA urged local authorities to treat Kalmaegi as “urgent and dangerous,” a “very negative statement” in a statement on Wednesday.

Authorities have ordered thousands from coastal communities, and in Quy Nhon City – just south of where Kalmaegi is forecast to make landfall – an AFP reporter saw officials knocking on doors on Thursday and warning people to flee.

Ten typhoons or typhoons usually affect Vietnam, directly or at sea, in a given year, but Typhoon Kalmaegi is set as 1325.

The Philippines has already reached such a status of 20 Kalmaegi typhoons, State Weather Specialist ClashAGne Varialla told AFP, adding at least three to five “storms” can be expected by the end of December.