September 30, 2025: A powerful tropical cyclone, Typhoon Bualoi (locally named Opong), swept through the central Philippines and northern Vietnam in late September 2025, leaving widespread devastation, massive flooding, and at least 88 fatalities across both nations.
According to official reports, the storm — the 20th named tropical cyclone and 9th typhoon of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season — caused extensive destruction to homes, infrastructure, and farmlands, displacing hundreds of thousands and inflicting economic losses exceeding $1.1 billion (USD).
Typhoon Bualoi originated from a low-pressure disturbance north of Yap on September 22, 2025, under favorable atmospheric conditions. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified it as a tropical depression, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assigned it the identifier 26W.
Upon entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) gave it the local name “Opong.”
According to the NDRRMC, 37 people died and 13 remain missing after floods swept away homes in Masbate, Biliran, and Eastern Samar, Philippines. More than 400,000 residents were evacuated as power lines, bridges, and roads were destroyed across the Bicol Region and Mindoro. Agricultural losses exceeded ₱3.5 billion ($61 million), and a state of calamity was declared in several provinces.
When Bualoi made landfall in Hà Tĩnh Province, it unleashed torrential rain and 6-meter waves, submerging nearly 170,000 homes. Vietnam’s disaster authorities reported 53 deaths, 153 injuries, and ₫16.5 trillion ($656 million) in damage, making it one of the country’s costliest storms in a decade.