Deadliest Storm in Southeast Asia Claims Over 190 Lives

 

By OrionTimes International Desk

Published: November 11, 2025

Typhoon Kalmaegi has left a trail of destruction across Southeast Asia, killing at least 190 people and displacing hundreds of thousands in what officials describe as the region’s deadliest storm of the year.

The powerful system made landfall in the Philippines late last week, packing winds exceeding 250 kilometers per hour before moving toward Vietnam’s northern coast. Entire villages were flattened, communication lines severed, and major highways rendered impassable.

The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed that most of the fatalities occurred in the eastern provinces of Leyte and Samar, where flash floods and landslides buried homes and farms. At least 400,000 residents remain displaced as relief operations struggle to reach isolated communities.

Vietnam reported five deaths and extensive flooding in coastal areas, though early evacuations are believed to have prevented a higher toll.

Meteorologists say Kalmaegi underwent “rapid intensification,” a phenomenon scientists link to rising sea surface temperatures driven by global warming. “The storm’s explosive growth mirrors a troubling pattern we’re seeing across the Pacific,” said Dr. Linh Nguyễn, a climate scientist at Vietnam National University.

The disaster struck as world leaders met at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, where the absence of a U.S. delegation drew criticism. Environmental groups say Kalmaegi underscores the urgency of global action and adequate funding for vulnerable nations.

“This is not just another storm,” said Filipino activist Jonas Villanueva. “It’s proof that climate change is already rewriting life in Southeast Asia.”

Preliminary estimates put economic losses at over $3 billion, covering infrastructure damage, crop destruction, and halted industries. Aid organizations warn that clean water shortages and disease outbreaks could worsen the crisis in the coming days.

As recovery efforts continue, regional leaders are calling for greater investment in disaster preparedness and climate resilience, warning that future storms may be even stronger, and deadlier.