At least 26 people were confirmed dead and nearly 400,000 displaced as typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) unleashed torrential rains and fierce winds across the Visayas and parts of Mindanao on Tuesday, submerging entire towns and triggering flooding described by officials as “unprecedented.”

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said most of the deaths were due to drowning in Cebu province, which bore the brunt of the typhoon.

Civil defense Deputy Administrator Rafaelito Alejandro told reporters that 21 people were confirmed dead in Cebu, including two children recovered in Cebu City, while others died in nearby provinces, including an elderly woman who drowned in her home in Leyte and a man struck by a falling tree in Bohol.

“Based on the information we have, most of them died from drowning,” Alejandro said.

In the 24 hours before landfall, the area around Cebu City received 183 millimeters of rain — surpassing its 131-millimeter monthly average, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Charmagne Varilla.

Entire neighborhoods were submerged, while vehicles, cargo trucks, and even shipping containers were swept away by the raging floodwaters.

“The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented,” Governor Pamela Baricuatro said in a Facebook post. “We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but it’s the water that’s truly putting our people at risk. The floodwaters are just devastating.”

Local disaster official Ethel Minoza said rescuers were still trying to reach residents trapped in flooded homes.

“The water rose so fast,” said Cebu City resident Don del Rosario, 28. “By 4 a.m., it was already uncontrollable, people couldn’t get out. I’ve been here 28 years and this is by far the worst we’ve experienced.”

As of Tuesday morning, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported more than 102,000 evacuees — 32,603 families — in 660 evacuation centers across 33 towns and cities.

Most evacuees

Mandaue City had the highest number of evacuees with 17,257, followed by Talisay City with 12,595. Power outages were reported across northern municipalities, including Bantayan, Camotes, Medellin and Daanbantayan.

Hundreds of residents already living in tent cities after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in late September were forcibly evacuated for safety, Cebu information officer Rhon Ramos said.

Nationwide, nearly 400,000 people were preemptively evacuated from the storm’s path, covering multiple regions in the Visayas and northern Mindanao. The NDRRMC placed its operations center under red alert, with government agencies on standby for rescue and relief missions.

“Tino” first made landfall in Southern Leyte just past midnight before crossing Cebu at dawn, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 180 kph, moving west at 25 kph.

PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 over parts of Leyte, Cebu and Bohol, warning of possible flash floods, landslides, and storm surges up to three meters high.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported 312 flight cancellations on Tuesday due to the storm, including 75 Philippine Airlines flights, 80 PAL Express, 65 AirAsia Philippines, 27 Cebu Pacific and 49 CebGo routes.

For Wednesday, 5 November, at least 20 Airswift flights were also canceled.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it prepositioned more than 2.1-million family food packs nationwide, with 128,000 ready for distribution in Eastern Visayas, 89,000 in Western Visayas, and 81,000 in Caraga.

Chopper crash

The Philippine Red Cross deployed emergency teams that assisted at least 179 individuals in Cebu, Southern Leyte and Gingoog City, providing first aid, hot meals, and welfare support.

“Every person reached by our staff and volunteers is someone given hope and care in the midst of disaster,” said PRC chairman Richard Gordon.

In Mindanao, a Super Huey helicopter en route to Butuan City for relief operations crashed Tuesday afternoon, the Eastern Mindanao Command confirmed. Search and recovery efforts were ongoing, though the military has not confirmed casualties.

PAGASA said the typhoon was moving westward through the Visayas and was expected to cross northern Palawan before exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday.