Images and video footage released by the Philippine Red Cross depict rescue teams navigating the flooded streets of Cebu City. Wading through water that reached up to their knees, these workers were seen employing boats to rescue residents trapped by the rising waters.
The tropical storm Kalmaegi, referred to locally as Tino, has been weakening since it made landfall on Tuesday morning. However, it continued to unleash powerful winds reaching 120 km/h, with gusts up to 165 km/h, as it moved across the Visayas islands towards northern Palawan and the South China Sea.
The Philippines, which is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms each year, is recovering from a run of disasters, including earthquakes and severe weather events in recent months.
In September, Typhoon Ragasa swept across northern Luzon, forcing schools and government offices to shut down as it brought fierce winds and torrential rain.
As a precautionary measure, authorities evacuated nearly 400,000 people in anticipation of the typhoon’s path, ensuring their safety ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Tens of thousands were evacuated across the Visayas region, including parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, ahead of a storm that submerged homes and caused widespread flooding.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful due to human-driven climate change. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to strengthen rapidly, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rainfall.
In total, nearly 400,000 people were pre-emptively moved from the typhoon’s path.
‘The waters kept rising’
Verified videos circulating on social media showed cars and streets underwater, with some vehicles carried away in the flow.
“We were really anxious because the longer the rains continued, the higher the floodwaters rose,” said John Patajo, a housekeeper in the area.
“When the waters rose, we went to our second floor. Yet, the waters kept rising, so we decided to head up to our roof.”
The typhoon was expected to leave the Philippines late on Wednesday or early Thursday.
State weather agency PAGASA had earlier warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging storm surges” that could reach more than 3 metres high on coastal and low-lying communities in the central Philippines.
Military helicopter crash
The Philippine military confirmed on Tuesday that a helicopter, one of four deployed to assist typhoon relief efforts, had crashed on northern Mindanao island.
The Super Huey helicopter went down while en route to the coastal city of Butuan “in support of relief operations” related to the powerful storm, Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement.
Hours later, air force spokeswoman Colonel Maria Christina Basco said the remains of six people had been recovered by troops.
“We’re waiting to confirm the identities via forensics in order to ascertain their identities,” she told reporters, saying two pilots and four crew members were on board.
