Typhoon Kalmaegi Leaves Trail of Destruction in Vietnam, as Philippines Braces for New Storm

DAK LAK, Vietnam – Typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into central Vietnam on Friday, unleashing fierce winds and torrential rains that killed at least five people, left a trail of widespread damage, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands, just days after the powerful storm claimed scores of lives in the Philippines.

As the system weakened into a tropical storm and moved westward into Cambodia, recovery efforts began across battered towns and industrial zones. Communities faced the daunting task of clearing debris, repairing countless damaged homes, and restoring power to over 1.6 million households.

Vietnam Assesses the Damage

The human cost of the storm became clear as floodwaters receded. According to state media, five people were killed—three in Dak Lak and two in Gia Lai provinces—while three others remained missing in Quang Ngai. Six people were reported injured. The structural damage was severe, with 52 houses completely collapsed and nearly 2,600 others damaged or stripped of their roofs, the vast majority in Gia Lai province.

The scenes on the ground illustrated the storm’s fury. In the hard-hit city of Quy Nhon, residents woke to streets littered with corrugated metal roofs, shattered signage, and scattered household items. Uprooted trees and damaged power lines were common sights, while in industrial areas of Binh Dinh province, factories were flooded, and equipment was damaged.

In Dak Lak, where sunlight broke through on Friday morning, residents emerged to assess the wreckage. Streets were covered in fallen branches and twisted metal, with muddy water still pooling in low-lying areas where rivers had surged to record heights overnight. Shopkeepers salvaged waterlogged goods, laying them out to dry in the sun, while families swept mud from their homes and began the painstaking process of patching damaged roofs.

The storm struck a region already vulnerable from recent weather disasters. Central Vietnam was still recovering from severe floods caused by record-breaking rains earlier in the season. Authorities reported that more than 537,000 people were preemptively evacuated, many by boat, as floodwaters rose and the threat of landslides grew.

In a separate incident highlighting the dangers to mariners, three fishermen were reported missing after their boat was overwhelmed by strong waves near Ly Son Island off Quang Ngai province. Search efforts were suspended due to the treacherous conditions.

Philippines Reels from Kalmaegi, Faces New Threat

The devastation in Vietnam follows Kalmaegi’s destructive path through the Philippines, where it is known as Typhoon Ramasoon. According to the Office of Civil Defense, the storm left at least 188 people dead and 135 missing, displacing more than half a million people. As of Thursday, nearly 450,000 people had been evacuated to shelters, with over 318,000 still unable to return home.

With the nation still in crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national emergency on Thursday as the country braces for another potential threat: Typhoon Fung-wong, locally named Uwan.

The Philippine weather bureau warned that Fung-wong could expand to an estimated 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) in diameter before making landfall late Sunday or early Monday in northern Aurora province. Its wide reach means it could potentially affect the densely populated capital region of Manila, complicating recovery efforts from Kalmaegi and posing a new test for disaster response teams.

A Region Under Siege from a Worsening Climate

The back-to-back storms underscore the acute vulnerability of Southeast Asia to extreme weather. The Philippines experiences about 20 typhoons and storms annually, ranking it among the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Vietnam is hit by roughly a dozen storms each year, but 2023 has been particularly relentless. Prior to Kalmaegi, the region was battered by Typhoon Ragasa in late September, followed by Typhoons Bualoi and Matmo, which together left more than 85 people dead or missing and caused an estimated $1.36 billion in damage.

Scientists consistently warn that a warming climate is intensifying the region’s weather patterns. Rising sea surface temperatures fuel more powerful storms, while a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to significantly heavier rainfall. This combination makes typhoons more destructive and increases the frequency of devastating flooding, turning seasonal weather events into humanitarian crises and presenting a continuous challenge for the nations in their path.

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