CEBU CITY—Irish Piscos from Consolacion town could barely recall how she and her family survived Typhoon “Tino.” Their house was submerged in floodwaters on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Consolacion town in Cebu province, forcing them to climb onto the roof and plead for help.

She said she still cries whenever she remembers what they had gone through, especially her daughter’s ordeal. Her child was saved by their neighbors using a Styrofoam box and brought to a safe place in the company of family friends while she and the other stranded adults waited for the rescuers.

“It hurts my heart knowing that my daughter experienced something like this. My daughter is so brave,” Piscos said in Cebuano.

“Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi), the 20th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, raked through the Visayas and claimed the lives of at least 83 people across Cebu, according to the latest report released by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

At 3 p.m., the typhoon was located 315 kilometers west of Coron, Palawan, with maximum sustained winds of 140 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph, the weather agency said in a bulletin. It was moving west-northwest at 30 kph toward the West Philippine Sea, it added,

Photos and videos posted on social media showed homes in Cebu province inundated by floodwaters, with vehicles piled atop one another or swept through streets. The province is still reeling from a massive earthquake that struck in late September.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as “unprecedented,” saying she was devastated over the extent of the flooding. “We thought the winds would bring the most damage, but it turned out the flooding put our people at greater risk,” she said in a video interview posted on her Facebook page.

In Loreto, Agusan del Sur, a Philippine Air Force Super Huey helicopter deployed for relief operations crashed while en route to typhoon-affected communities. The fate of the five people on board remained unknown as of Tuesday night.

“A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the circumstances and cause of this accident. Further details will be released once verified,” the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement.

The confirmed fatalities in Cebu were recorded in six cities and municipalities heavily struck by the storm and subsequent flooding and landslides: Liloan (35), Compostela (16), Balamban (6), Talisay City (7), Mandaue City (9), Danao City (9), and La Consolacion (1).

Balamban Mayor Edwin Amos Cabahug said the victims from their municipality drowned after severe flooding swept away homes at the height of the typhoon on Tuesday. Among the dead was a 10-year-old child who was reportedly swept away by the strong current despite being held by the mother.

Balamban also dealt with landslides in Cansomoroy along the Transcentral Highway, prompting calls from residents for immediate clearing to make way for food deliveries and mobility. Heavy equipment was dispatched to reopen the roads within the day, Cabahug said.

In Liloan town, Mayor Aljew Frasco confirmed that 35 residents died after rapid flooding struck Barangays Cabadiangan, Cotcot, and Jubay early Monday morning.

In a Facebook post, Frasco said floodwaters from the upland parts of Cebu City surged into the communities just as residents believed the worst of the storm had passed. 

“Waters hit the roofs of second-story houses,” Frasco wrote, describing the event as the worst flooding witnessed in generations. 

Communication lines, power, and water supply were  down in the town as of Wednesday, hampering rescue and response efforts. 

As many as 1,018 families or 4,309 individuals are currently staying in evacuation centers, according to the municipal government. 

Cebu City has been placed under a state of calamity following the widespread destruction brought by Tino, which triggered massive flooding, landslides, and prolonged power outages in the upland and low-lying barangays.

The city council approved the declaration in a special session on Wednesday upon the recommendation of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

It also passed a resolution filed by Councilor Dave Tumulak requesting the Department of Trade and Industry to enforce a price freeze on basic commodities, including gasoline and diesel, while the city continues recovery efforts. 

Mayor Nestor Archival said at least 11 people remained missing as search operations intensified in remote and severely affected communities.

An inter-agency meeting led by Councilor Tumulak together with council members Mikel Rama, Winston Pepito, and Joel Garganera, Department of the Interior and Local Government representatives, and City Administrator Albert Tan to reinforce the Management of the Dead and Missing protocols across response clusters.

A total of 15,749 residents from 51 barangays remain in 75 evacuation centers across the city.

Archival said that major roads in upland barangays  including Busay, Binaliw, Bonbon, Sudlon, Pamutan, and Tabunan were still undergoing clearing due to soil erosion, fallen trees, and collapsed structures.