Typhoon Kalmaegi has slammed into the Philippines, leaving a trail of destruction and death in its wake. At least 46 people have lost their lives as the powerful storm brought heavy rains and floods to the central region of the country.
The disaster was exacerbated by the collapse of a Philippine military helicopter during search and rescue operations, which claimed the lives of all six crew members on board. The Huey helicopter went down in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao, where it was conducting a humanitarian disaster response mission.
In Cebu province, at least 39 people were killed by the storm's relentless rains, which submerged entire towns and trapped many people on their rooftops. Provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as "unprecedented" and warned that the floodwaters were putting her people "at risk".
"It was already uncontrollable – people couldn’t get out [of their houses]," said Don del Rosario, a resident of Cebu City who witnessed the devastating effects of the storm.
The typhoon made landfall on Monday night, bringing with it winds of 120km/h (74.5mph) and gusts of 165km/h (102.5mph). The area around provincial capital Cebu City was deluged with 183 millimeters (seven inches) of rain, far exceeding its monthly average.
Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated across the Visayas region as the storm swept through, causing widespread damage and destruction. Authorities warned that the typhoon would continue to cause problems as it made its way towards northern Palawan and the South China Sea.
The Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters, with an average of 20 storms and typhoons hitting the country each year. However, the scale and intensity of Typhoon Kalmaegi's impact are a sobering reminder of the risks faced by millions of people living in disaster-prone areas.
The disaster was exacerbated by the collapse of a Philippine military helicopter during search and rescue operations, which claimed the lives of all six crew members on board. The Huey helicopter went down in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao, where it was conducting a humanitarian disaster response mission.
In Cebu province, at least 39 people were killed by the storm's relentless rains, which submerged entire towns and trapped many people on their rooftops. Provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as "unprecedented" and warned that the floodwaters were putting her people "at risk".
"It was already uncontrollable – people couldn’t get out [of their houses]," said Don del Rosario, a resident of Cebu City who witnessed the devastating effects of the storm.
The typhoon made landfall on Monday night, bringing with it winds of 120km/h (74.5mph) and gusts of 165km/h (102.5mph). The area around provincial capital Cebu City was deluged with 183 millimeters (seven inches) of rain, far exceeding its monthly average.
Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated across the Visayas region as the storm swept through, causing widespread damage and destruction. Authorities warned that the typhoon would continue to cause problems as it made its way towards northern Palawan and the South China Sea.
The Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters, with an average of 20 storms and typhoons hitting the country each year. However, the scale and intensity of Typhoon Kalmaegi's impact are a sobering reminder of the risks faced by millions of people living in disaster-prone areas.
this is just heartbreaking... 46 lives lost already? that number is gonna keep on rising I'm sure. it's crazy how fast the storm came through, like 120km/h winds & all that. and poor Cebu City... 7 inches of rain in one night! that's insane. people getting stuck on their rooftops like they're just waiting for the next thing to happen 
. evacuation efforts are super important but sometimes it's not enough. we need better preparedness & response systems for these disasters, you know? 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this... 46 lives lost already? It's just heartbreaking. Back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy weather warnings and evacuations like they do now. We'd just hunker down and wait for it to pass. But times change, I guess. 
. And the rain in Cebu province was crazy, 7 inches in one night! I remember when a big thunderstorm would knock out our power and we'd have to use candles for days... times sure have changed 
at least 46 people lost their lives, thats just heartbreaking. and that helicopter crash tho... 6 innocent ppl gone 
i feel bad for the ppl of cebu, the floodwaters are so crazy, its like they're trapped on top of their own houses 
anyway, can we just get better at predicting these storms already? 
. It's also time to rethink our approach to urban planning and development, especially in areas prone to flooding like Cebu City 
.
. How could this have happened? What kind of oversight was lacking? We need answers now 
. The people of the Philippines deserve better than to live in fear of natural disasters and government failures 
.
46 lives lost? That's just heartbreaking 
hopefully the gov gets all the aid they need ASAP
. 46+ lives lost is a lot to take in... I hope the survivors get the help they need ASAP 
.
at least they evacuated many ppl tho 
... And the fact that it happened in Mindanao, where they've got all these military bases and stuff, just makes me think something fishy is going on.
I mean, can't they organize the info in a clear and concise manner? It's like they're just dumping all this information on us without any thought to how it looks. 
The use of short paragraphs and lack of transitional words makes it hard to follow along. And don't even get me started on the lack of visual elements! Where are the photos or videos to go along with the story? It's like they're neglecting the visual aspect of journalism altogether. 
Can't we get some decent formatting around here?! 
& 120km/h winds?! that's like, whoa 
i feel bad for all those ppl trapped on rooftops, it must be super scary 
typhoon kalmaegi is a harsh reminder that nature is still the boss we cant just keep buildin & expectin on top of volcanoes & floodplains 
at least 46 ppl already dead 
and its not even over yet...
#TyphoonKalmaegi #PhilippinesDisasterRelief #SupportThePeople
️. I just hope everyone is doing okay in Cebu province, where at least 39 people lost their lives 
.
. It's going to take a lot of healing and recovery work to get over this, but I have faith in the resilience of the Filipino people 
. The way the storm came out of nowhere and left these towns underwater is like something from a movie 
. And on top of all this, that helicopter crash... 
. Weather-wise, it's like a nightmare – winds of 120km/h and rains that wouldn't quit 
.
and are now left with nothing 