Manila [Philippines], November 9: Typhoon Kalmaegi has left a trail of devastation across Southeast Asia, killing hundreds in the Philippines and at least five in Vietnam, flattening homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power to millions, but there could be more suffering to come.
Rescue operations were suspended and mass evacuations began on Saturday as another storm, Typhoon Fung-wong, approached the Philippines, just days after Kalmaegi killed at least 204 people.
Authorities warned that Fung-wong, expected to strengthen into a super typhoon before landfall, could blanket nearly the entire country. "Its radius is so wide it could cover almost the whole Philippines," a government meteorologist said.
Officials have urged residents in coastal and low-lying areas to seek safety, fearing more flooding and landslides after last week's destruction.
Emergency shelters were prepared nationwide as the country braces for what could be one of the season's most powerful storms.
In the Philippines, grief and exhaustion swept through the province of Cebu in Kalmaegi's destructive and deadly wake. Families gathered around rows of white coffins, mourning loved ones lost to floods and landslides.
Jimmy Abatayo, who lost his wife and nine relatives, was overcome with guilt as he touched his wife's coffin.
"I told my family to swim, be brave and keep swimming," he said, breaking into tears.
"They did not hear what I said because I would never see them again."
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of national emergency as the country braces for Typhoon Fung-wong, which is expected to strike early next week. Marcos said the sheer volume of rainfall had overwhelmed flood defences, forcing residents to flee to rooftops for safety.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, Kalmaegi displaced more than half a million people. Nearly 450,000 sought shelter in evacuation centres or with relatives, as rescue crews continued to search for more than 100 missing people.
In Vietnam, state media reported five deaths, three in Dak Lak province and two in Gia Lai, and three people missing in Quang Ngai city. The storm destroyed or damaged nearly 2,600 homes and cut power to more than 1.6 million households.
In Quy Nhon, residents emerged to find metal roofs and furniture scattered across streets, while shopkeepers laid out soaked goods to dry.
Authorities said more than 537,000 Vietnamese had been evacuated before the storm hit, with Kalmaegi dumping up to 600mm (24in) of rain before weakening into a tropical storm and moving into Cambodia.
The Philippines and Vietnam, two of the world's most disaster-prone countries, face typhoons almost yearly. But scientists warn that climate change is causing stronger and more frequent storms.
Kristen Corbosiero, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University at Albany, said Kalmaegi was already the fourth-strongest typhoon of the season. "The warm waters that fuel these storms are there almost year-round," she said, warning that rising sea temperatures are intensifying their destructive power.
Source: Qatar Tribune
