Residents in the central Philippines began cleanup efforts on Wednesday following the passage of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which claimed at least 85 lives and left 75 people missing.
The storm inflicted severe damage across the Visayas region, particularly in Cebu province, a key tourist area still reeling from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake last month that killed dozens and displaced thousands.
Floodwaters receded to reveal ravaged homes, overturned vehicles, and debris-choked streets in Cebu City and surrounding areas.
Among the fatalities were six military personnel killed when their helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on Mindanao during a humanitarian mission.
The disaster agency reported 17 injuries alongside the missing persons.
Cebu province endured exceptional rainfall of 183 millimeters in the 24 hours before landfall, far exceeding the monthly average of 131 millimeters.
This deluge triggered flash floods and swollen rivers, submerging homes and causing power outages.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated across the Visayas, including parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao.
In Cebu City, residents like 58-year-old Marlon Enriquez salvaged belongings from mud-coated houses.
“This was the first time that has happened to us,” he told the Reuters news agency.
In Mandaue, 53-year-old Reynaldo Vergara lost his shop to overflowing waters.
By Wednesday noon, Kalmaegi moved into the South China Sea from western Palawan with sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Forecasters predict the typhoon will intensify before reaching Vietnam on Friday, where preparations are underway.
China issued warnings of a “catastrophic wave process” in the South China Sea and activated emergency responses in Hainan province.
The 20th storm to strike the Philippines this year, Kalmaegi follows Super Typhoon Ragasa in September, which disrupted the northern region with fierce winds and rain.