On November 5, local authorities said that the death toll from Typhoon No. 13 Kalmaegi (local name Tino) in the Philippines had exceeded 90. Most of it was in concubine - the province that suffered the most damage from the unprecedented flood in decades.
Of the 76 people killed in the area, 35 bodies were found in the town of Liloan, according to provincial spokesman Rhon Ramos.
Meanwhile, about 15 deaths have occurred in neighboring provinces, Deputy Director of the National Civil Defense Agency Rafaelito Alejandro confirmed, adding that 26 people are still missing.
According to local media reports, people living in affected areas are currently clearing the streets after the storm passed.
provinces governor of concubine province, Pamela Baricuatro, described the flood as a destruction, saying all speculation about the extent of wind damage in Tino is completely wrong. New water is a threat to peoples lives, said Baricuatro.
In just 24 hours before Tino made landfall, areas around the city of concubines experienced 183mm of rain, much higher than the average for the whole month (131mm), according to meteorologist Charmagne Varilla.
Scientists warn that man-made climate change is making storms stronger, as warmer oceans help storms strengthen quickly and warmer atmosphere contains more moisture, leading to heavier rain.
The Philippine military confirmed that one of the four helicopters deployed for relief after the storm crashed on Mindanao, the southern country, on November 4.
The Super Huey helicopter is en route to the coastal city of Butuan to support post-storm rescue work, said the East Mindanao Command.
The bodies of the 6 people, including the 2 pilots and 4 members of the flight crew, are currently being found. Forensic examination to determine the identity is ongoing, according to air force spokesman Colonel Maria Christina Basco.
As of 2:00 p.m. on November 5, the center of storm No. 13 was at about 12.0 degrees north latitude; 117.2 degrees east longitude, about 320km east-northeast of Song Tu Tay Island (belonging to Truong Sa Special Zone). The strongest wind is level 14 (150-166 km/h), gusting to level 17.
It is forecasted that in the next 3 hours, storm No. 13 will move west-northwest, at a speed of about 25 km/h.
