Typhoon Kalmaegi, now a Category 4 storm, makes landfall in Vietnam

Vietnam has evacuated thousands of people from its coast ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which made landfall on Thursday in the country’s storm-weary central region.

Kalmaegi, now a Category 4 storm, has strengthened into a 209 km/h (130 mph) typhoon as it approached Vietnam, potentially surpassing Yagi 2024 as the strongest.

Emergency agencies are on high alert to protect vulnerable communities as Kalmaegi threatens to worsen flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage.

Kalmaegi, regarded as one of the deadliest cyclones worldwide this year, ravaged the Philippines earlier, causing at least 140 deaths and leaving 127 people missing due to catastrophic flooding.

The typhoon struck central Vietnam late Thursday with sustained winds reaching up to 149 km/h (92 miles) and even stronger gusts, according to the Vietnamese Environment Ministry.

This powerful storm hit as the region was already struggling with prolonged flooding and record rainfall that claimed at least 47 lives and submerged centuries-old historic sites.

Pham Anh Tuan, a senior official in Gia Lai province, described Kalmaegi as a “huge typhoon with terrible devastating capacity.”

State media reported that over 7,000 residents had been evacuated from Gia Lai by Wednesday night. In the coastal area of Quy Nhon Nam, authorities went door-to-door to urge people to evacuate.

Many elderly women and children sought shelter in a local school, bringing mats, pillows, and blankets.

Tran Thi Nghia, 56, explained her decision to leave her home: “I am not young anymore and I don’t want to risk my life.”

Vietnam, situated in one of the world’s most active tropical cyclone zones, typically experiences about 10 typhoons annually — but Kalmaegi is the 13th to hit so far in 2025.

Scientists warn climate change is intensifying storms. Warmer oceans enable typhoons to strengthen rapidly while moist air triggers heavier rainfalls.

The storm initially devastated central Philippine islands like Cebu and Negros, where inundations were described as unprecedented.

In Cebu’s Liloan town, floodwaters swept away cars, homes by riversides, and even massive shipping containers. Thirty-five bodies were recovered there, with scenes of cars piled on one another and roofs torn off as residents fought to clear mud and debris.