Southeast Asia has been hit by one of its deadliest hydrometeorological disasters in a decade, as waves of flooding and landslides swept across the region in recent weeks.
More than 800 people have died, millions have been affected, and widespread infrastructure damage has occurred—particularly in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
The disaster was triggered by prolonged extreme rainfall, a rare tropical storm that formed near the equator, and regional weather conditions intensified by the La Niña phenomenon and warmer ocean temperatures, which enabled cyclones to develop faster and with greater strength.
Indonesia
Indonesia has recorded the highest number of casualties after a tropical storm in the Malacca Strait triggered massive flooding and landslides across multiple regions. As of Tuesday (December 2), the death toll has reached 659, with 475 people still missing. More than 1.5 million residents have been affected, and 28,000 homes have been damaged.
In Sumatra, inter-regional connectivity remains disrupted as at least 11 bridges have collapsed, leaving several villages isolated.
President Prabowo Subianto stated that “the worst has passed, hopefully” during his visit to affected areas in North Sumatra (December 1), emphasizing that the government’s priority is accelerating relief efforts to cut-off regions.
The government has deployed three naval vessels carrying aid, two hospital ships, and is focusing recovery efforts on restoring roads, bridges, and telecommunications networks in the most inaccessible areas.
Outside Sumatra, hydrometeorological disasters have also occurred in other parts of Indonesia. West Java, for example, has declared an Emergency Alert Status for Floods, Flash Floods, Extreme Weather, Extreme Waves, Coastal Erosion, and Landslides from September 2025 through April 2026 as part of preparedness measures.
Thailand
Thailand is also facing severe floods that have killed 176 people across eight southern provinces and affected three million residents. Songkhla province has been the hardest hit, with 138 fatalities, while Hat Yai recorded 335 mm of rainfall in a single day—the highest in 300 years.
The government has mobilised the military, helicopters, and boats to evacuate residents who were trapped for days. As of now, water services have reportedly been restored to 85% of affected areas, while electricity has returned to 92%.
Authorities aim for full recovery within seven days, and compensation of 9,000 baht per household has begun to be distributed. More than 25,000 homes have received initial assistance, followed by the allocation of 877 million baht for nearly 100,000 households in four other provinces.
However, public criticism over the slow government response has led to the suspension of two local officials.
Malaysia
Malaysia has also been hit by major flooding, with 11,600 residents still staying in evacuation centres. In several areas such as Perlis, floodwaters continue to inundate residential and agricultural zones. Three fatalities have been reported.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced an allocation of RM500 million to repair damaged public infrastructure—including schools, healthcare facilities, and roads (December 2). State and federal governments have been instructed to conduct rapid assessments and accelerate repair works.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has activated more than 150 additional shelters, accommodating over 12,000 survivors, and remains on alert for potential subsequent waves of flooding.
Viet Nam
Viet Nam has also experienced an exceptionally storm-filled year, being struck by 14 typhoons, with a 15th major storm forming off its southern coast. Extreme rainfall and landslides in November killed more than 90 people.
Disaster-related losses between January and October are estimated to exceed USD 2 billion, while some communities have begun questioning government preparedness amid repeated destruction in flood-prone regions.
Philippines
In the Philippines, two typhoons within one week have killed more than 200 people. The government has mobilised the military and emergency-response teams to face Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which formed just days after the previous storm.
In Manila, thousands of residents took to the streets, accusing the government of misappropriating nearly one trillion pesos in flood-control funds that were intended to strengthen infrastructure resilience against chronic flooding.
Unusual Weather Patterns Behind This Year’s Disasters
This year’s wave of disasters represents an anomaly driven by highly unusual weather conditions. La Niña strengthened Pacific trade winds, causing warm water to accumulate in East Asia and increasing the likelihood of storm formation.
Significant ocean warming allowed cyclones to intensify more quickly, while weakened vertical wind shear made storms harder to dissipate. Even more unusually, tropical storms formed just five degrees above the equator—an area where cyclones rarely occur due to weak rotational forces.
Since the beginning of the year, regions around the Pacific and Indian Oceans have experienced 16 cyclones and dozens of tropical depressions, compounding monsoon impacts.
