Super Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, made landfall Thursday on Siargao Island, a popular tourist and surfing destination on the central east coast. It had initially packed winds of up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour — equivalent to a Category 5 storm.
Rai devastated communities, ripping through homes, breaking down trees and electricity poles as it traveled west across the Philippines.
The death toll is expected to climb further as search and rescue operations continue after they were initially hampered by power and communication outages. The Philippine National Police said about 52 people remain missing as of Monday, while 239 others have suffered “considerable injuries.”
About 75% of homes in Bohol province in the Central Visayas region are damaged, Casiano Monilla, assistant secretary at the Office of the Civil Defense, said at a news conference Monday. At least 227 cities and municipalities experienced power outages and 25 flights were canceled.