At least 66 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes as one of the strongest typhoons of the year, Typhoon Kalmaegi, tore through the central Philippines, unleashing catastrophic floods and widespread destruction, authorities said on Wednesday.

The typhoon, locally known as Tino, inundated entire towns on the heavily populated island of Cebu, where 49 of the confirmed fatalities were reported. Twenty-six others remain missing, according to the Office of Civil Defence.

Dramatic footage from the island shows residents clinging to rooftops as raging floodwaters swept away cars, shipping containers, and homes. Rescue workers used boats to reach stranded families, navigating through submerged streets covered in thick mud.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro described the flooding as “unprecedented,” declaring a state of calamity on Tuesday evening to expedite relief operations.

“We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but the water is what’s truly putting our people at risk,” Baricuatro said. “The floodwaters are just devastating.”

Among the casualties were six crew members of a Philippine Air Force helicopter that crashed on Mindanao island while assisting in relief operations.

The aircraft lost communication shortly after takeoff near Agusan del Sur, prompting an immediate search-and-rescue mission. A military spokesperson later confirmed that the bodies of the pilot and crew had been recovered.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 400,000 people have been displaced across Cebu province and neighboring regions.

“The current challenge for rescuers is clearing debris and vehicles blocking key roads,” said Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence, in an interview with local radio DZMM.

The storm left behind extensive damage to residential areas, particularly in low-lying communities where small homes and structures were swept away by torrents of muddy water cascading from nearby hills.

Although Kalmaegi has weakened since making landfall early Tuesday, it continues to bring winds of more than 80 mph (130 km/h) as it moves across the Visayas islands toward the South China Sea.

Meteorologists forecast the storm will continue westward, striking Vietnam, where record-breaking rainfall has already been reported.

The Philippines, which lies in the Pacific “typhoon belt,” experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year. Kalmaegi’s destruction comes just weeks after back-to-back storms — Super Typhoon Ragasa (Nando) and Typhoon Bualoi (Opong) — killed over a dozen people and caused extensive agricultural and infrastructure damage.

Earlier this year, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of central Philippines, compounding the hardships for communities now reeling from one disaster after another.

Public anger has been growing over what many see as corruption and negligence in flood control projects, with critics accusing authorities of failing to upgrade drainage systems despite years of devastating floods.

As Typhoon Kalmaegi exits the Philippines, the focus has shifted to relief and recovery, with emergency shelters overcrowded and widespread shortages of clean water and food reported.

International aid agencies have begun coordinating with local authorities to deliver assistance to affected regions, while meteorological agencies warn that Vietnam could be the next country in the typhoon’s destructive path. (ILKHA)