Deadly typhoon Karmaegi has devastated the Philippines and Vietnam, and survivors are bracing for more storms.
Published November 8, 2025
Typhoon Karmaegi left a trail of devastation across Southeast Asia, killing hundreds in the Philippines and at least five in Vietnam, destroying homes, uprooting trees and leaving millions without power. But further damage could occur.
Days after at least 204 people were killed in Kalmaegi, rescue efforts were called off and mass evacuations began on Saturday as another storm, Typhoon Hungwon, approached the Philippines.
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Officials warned that Fongwon is expected to strengthen into a super typhoon before making landfall and could cover almost the entire country. “Its radius is very wide and could cover almost the entire Philippines,” a government meteorologist said.
Authorities feared further flooding and landslides following last week’s destruction and urged residents of coastal and low-lying areas to stay safe.
Emergency shelters were prepared across the country in preparation for what could be one of the most powerful storms of the season.
In the Philippines, a sense of sadness and exhaustion spread across the province of Cebu after the devastating and deadly incident in Calmaegui. Families gathered around rows of white coffins to mourn their loved ones who died in the 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, to be brave and keep swimming,” he said through tears. “They didn’t listen to me, because I’ll never see them again.”
climate crisis
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a national state of emergency in preparation for Typhoon Fanwon, which is expected to hit the country early next week. Marcos said the sheer amount of rain overwhelmed flood defenses, forcing residents to seek safety on rooftops.
According to the Civil Defense Department, more than 500,000 people were displaced in Karmaegi. Nearly 450,000 people have taken refuge in evacuation centers or with relatives as rescue teams continue to search for more than 100 missing people.
In Vietnam, state media reported that five people were killed, three in Dak Lak province and two in Gia Lai, and three people were missing in Quang Ngai city. The storm destroyed or damaged approximately 2,600 homes and left more than 1.6 million households without power. In Quy Nhon, residents found metal roofs and furniture strewn across the street as shopkeepers laid out wet items to dry.
Officials said more than 537,000 Vietnamese people had been evacuated before the storm hit, dumping up to 600 millimeters (24 inches) of rain in Karmaegi before weakening to a tropical storm and moving into Cambodia.
The Philippines and Vietnam, the world’s most disaster-prone countries, face typhoons almost every year. But scientists warn that climate change is making storms more powerful and frequent.
Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric science at the University at Albany, said Karmaegi is already the fourth strongest typhoon of the season. “The warm ocean that drives these storms is present almost all year round,” she said, warning that rising ocean temperatures are making them more destructive.
