Typhoon Kalmaegi Kills 5 in Vietnam; Philippines Reels as Nation Braces for Fung-wong

Typhoon Kalmaegi swept through central Vietnam on Friday, bringing fierce winds and torrential rains that left at least five people dead and caused widespread damage across the region. The storm followed a destructive landfall in the Philippines earlier this week, where it claimed many lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Impact in Vietnam

State media reported five fatalities in Vietnam — three in Dak Lak province and two in Gia Lai — while three people remained missing in Quang Ngai. Six others were injured. Fifty-two houses collapsed and nearly 2,600 more were damaged or lost their roofs, with more than 2,400 affected in Gia Lai alone. Power outages left over 1.6 million households without electricity.

Residents and local authorities began recovery efforts as floodwaters receded. Streets were strewn with fallen branches, corrugated metal roofs and household items; muddy water pooled in low-lying areas after rivers surged to record heights. Factories in Binh Dinh province reported roof loss and equipment damage from flooding, and coastal Quy Nhon was littered with debris.

Authorities said more than 537,000 people had been evacuated in Vietnam's central region amid rising floodwaters and landslide risks. The storm was forecast to dump up to 600 millimeters (about 24 inches) of rain in some areas before tracking toward Laos and northeastern Thailand. Three fishermen were reported missing after their boat was swept away near Ly Son Island; search efforts were suspended as the weather worsened.

Devastation in the Philippines

Kalmaegi struck the Philippines earlier this week, leaving at least 188 people dead and 135 missing, according to the Office of Civil Defense. More than half a million people were displaced: nearly 450,000 were evacuated to shelters and over 318,000 remained in shelters as of Thursday. Central Cebu province was among the hardest hit, with 139 fatalities largely from flooding.

"I told my family to swim, you will be saved," said 53-year-old Jimmy Abatayo, who lost his wife and nine close relatives. He paused and then broke into tears: "They did not hear what I said because I would never see them again."

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national state of emergency as authorities prepared for a second storm, Typhoon Fung-wong (locally called Uwan).

What’s Next: Fung-wong and a Warming Climate

The Philippine weather bureau warned that Fung-wong could expand to around 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) in diameter before making landfall late Sunday or early Monday in northern Aurora province, with the potential to affect the densely populated Manila metropolitan area.

Vietnam has already endured a relentless string of storms this year. Typhoon Ragasa struck in late September and was followed by Typhoons Bualoi and Matmo; those systems together left more than 85 people dead or missing and caused an estimated $1.36 billion in damage.

"If you look at the climatology for the Philippines and for Vietnam, it’s almost the entire year that they can get them because the warm waters that fuel the storm just are there," said Kristen Corbosiero, professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany. She noted that Kalmaegi and Fung-wong are the 26th and 27th named storms this season, surpassing the typical count by this point in the year.

Scientists warn that a warming climate is intensifying storms and rainfall across Southeast Asia, making floods and typhoons more frequent and destructive. Humanitarian and recovery efforts are ongoing in both countries as authorities monitor Fung-wong and other potential threats.

Contributors: Associated Press writers Jim Gomez and Joeal Calupitan in Manila, and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to reporting on this story.