Cebu: The Philippines’ Cebu province has been hit hard by severe flooding following Typhoon Kalmaegi’s devastating impact, with the death toll now exceeding 100.

According to Thai News Agency, the death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which slammed into the central Philippines, exceeded 100 on Sunday as residents began cleaning up and surveying the damage from the worst flooding in years. Rescuers retrieved 35 bodies from flooded areas in Liloan, part of the Cebu metropolitan area, bringing the death toll in Cebu province to 76. At least 12 people were killed and 12 missing on the nearby island of Negros after heavy rains from Kalmaegi triggered mudslides that buried homes in the town of Canleon. Seventeen people died outside Cebu province, including six military personnel who were part of a helicopter that crashed while on a relief mission. Nearly 800,000 people were evacuated from the storm’s path.

Floodwaters, which residents say are unprecedented, swept through cities and towns in Cebu province the previous day, sweeping away cars, riverside homes and even large shipping containers. The area around Cebu City received 183 millimeters of rain in just 24 hours before Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall, exceeding the monthly average of 131 millimeters.

Scientists warn that storms are likely to become more intense due to human-caused climate change. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to intensify more quickly, and a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, resulting in heavier rain.