Widespread travel disruption as Typhoon Kalmaegi hits the Philippines

Typhoon Kalmaegi (local name Tino) has caused severe loss of life and widespread disruption across the central Philippines, particularly in Cebu province. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed at least 85 deaths and 75 people missing, most due to flash flooding in Cebu, after torrential rains inundated entire communities.

Caught off-guard by rising water, residents sought shelter on rooftops as floodwaters swept through urban areas. Rescue efforts were complicated when a Philippine Air Force helicopter deployed for relief operations in Agusan del Sur crashed, killing six crewmembers.

The storm made landfall near Silago, Southern Leyte, early on 4 November with winds of up to 180km/h and heavy rainfall exceeding 180mm in some areas. Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro described the flooding as “unprecedented” and has declared a state of calamity to accelerate emergency relief.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced, while damage assessments continue in areas still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in late September.

Transport and tourism have been hit hard. Over 160 domestic and international flights were cancelled by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, including routes from Manila, Cebu and Davao. Mactan–Cebu International Airport remained open but operated at reduced capacity amid widespread cancellations. The Department of Tourism has advised travellers to postpone non-essential trips to the Visayas and Mindanao regions, with many hotels and resorts suspending operations or reducing guest capacity.

Kalmaegi has since weakened and moved into the South China Sea, but its impact underlines the Philippines’ acute exposure to extreme weather – an average of 20 tropical storms strike the country each year, driving sustained challenges for emergency response, infrastructure resilience and travel insurance providers.

The ITIJ team recently spoke with Ricus Groenewald, Director of Operations Worldwide at International SOS, about how the international risk management and assistance sector is adapting to a rise in extreme weather events.