More than 430 are dead and many others missing after Tropical Storm Washi hit the southern Philippines, officials have confirmed.
An army spokesman told the BBC that heavy rain from Washi brought water that swept many villagers on the north coast of Mindanao island into the sea. The cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro have taken the hardest hit, the BBC reported, noting that many people were asleep when the flood waters crept into their homes.
Authorities said the massive flood has forced tens of thousands of people to flee to safety.
USA Today reported that floodwaters rushed down from the mountains after 12 hours of rain.
Ayi Hernandez, a former congressman, told the media that he and his family were at home in Cagayan de Oro when they heard a loud swooshing sound. They found themselves in ankle-deep water inside their homes and decided to evacuate to a neighbor's two-story house, according to the USA Today report.
It was a good thing, because in less than an hour the water rose to about 11 feet (3.3 meters), filling his home up to the ceiling, he said.
Benito Ramos, who heads national disaster rescue agency, told the BBC that the floodwaters quickly rose overnight on Friday.
Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City, he said
After the 12 hours of rain, rivers swelled and burst their banks.
Philippine National Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang told the BBC that at least 430 people were killed -- 215 killed in Cagayan de Oro and 144 in Iligan.
Pang told The Associted Press that those figures were based upon the numbers of bodies brought to funeral parlors.
Col. Leopoldo Galon, a military spokesman has said that approximately 10,000 soldiers were conducting rescue efforts in Cagayan de Oro and along the north shore of Mindanao.
I can't explain how these things happened, he told the BBC. Entire villages were swept into the sea by flash floods.
Galon said he has never seen anything like what happened before, stating that Washi could be worse than Ondoy, which struck in 2009. That storm flooded Manila and claimed more than 400 lives.
Start the slideshow to see photos of the damage.
Philippine National Police (PNP) rescuers use a rubber boat to evacuate a resident after flash floods brought by Typhoon Washi (Sendong) hit Macasandig town, Cagayan De Oro city, southern Philippines December 17, 2011. A typhoon hit the southern Philippines triggering flash floods and landslides that killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials said on Saturday. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90km/h (56 mph), hit the resource-rich island of Mindanao late on Friday, bringing heavy rain that also grounded some domestic flights and left wide areas without power. REUTERS/Stringer PhilippinesResidents rest in an evacuation centre after their houses were washed away by flashfloods caused by typhoon Washi in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines, December 17, 2011. More than 250 people were killed and almost twice that number were missing after the typhoon hit the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday, triggering flash floods and landslides and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. REUTERS/Erik De CastroA vehicle washed away by flashfloods caused by typhoon Washi lies outside down in Balulang village in Cagayan de Oro in southern Philippines, Dec. 17, 2011. REUTERS/Erik De CastroDamaged vehicles swept away by flashfloods caused by typhoon Washi lie in a ditch in Balulang village in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines, December 17, 2011. More than 250 people were killed and almost twice that number were missing after the typhoon hit the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday, triggering flash floods and landslides and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. REUTERS/Erik De CastroAn aerial view shows villages inundated in floodwaters caused by typhoon Washi in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines, December 17, 2011. More than 250 people were killed and almost twice that number were missing after the typhoon hit the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday, triggering flash floods and landslides and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. REUTERS/Erik De CastroPhilippine authorities have begun mass burials for the hundreds of flash flood victims killed by a tropical storm that struck days before the island nation celebrates Christmas festivities, media reports said.REUTERS/Erik De CastroA body covered by a cloth lies along a main street in Macasandig town, Cagayan De Oro city, southern Philippines December 17, 2011. A typhoon hit the southern Philippines triggering flash floods and landslides that killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials said on Saturday. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90km/h (56 mph), hit the resource-rich island of Mindanao late on Friday, bringing heavy rain that also grounded some domestic flights and left wide areas without power. REUTERS/Stringer PhilippinesResidents gather near the body of a resident recovered from flashfloods caused by typhoon Washi in Balulang village in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines, December 17, 2011. More than 250 people were killed and almost twice that number were missing after the typhoon hit the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday, triggering flash floods and landslides and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
