Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae slammed into the Philippines on Saturday after triggering flash floods and landslides that have killed at least 72 people, officials said.

Nalgae hit the archipelago’s main island, Luzon, with maximum winds of 95 kilometers per hour after making landfall on the sparsely populated island of Catanduanes before sunrise.

Heavy rains triggered by the approaching storm began Thursday in southern Philippines, the state weather service said, flooding mainly rural areas on the island of Mindanao.

Landslides and flooding followed, with fast-moving, debris-laden waters sweeping away entire families in some areas and damaging nearly 500 homes.

As of Saturday morning, the death toll had risen to 72, said the country’s civil defense director, Rafaelito Alejandro.

At least 14 people are still missing and 33 are injured, he added.

In recent years, mud and debris flash floods from largely deforested mountainsides have been among the deadliest hazards posed by typhoons in the Philippines.

Rescuers are focusing on the village of Kusiong, where dozens of bodies were recovered Friday after the floods.

Flooding was also reported in several areas of the central Philippines, although no deaths were reported there.

Photos released by the Coastguard showed rescue workers using an old fridge as a makeshift boat to pull children from a flooded community on the central island of Leyte.

The state weather service said Nalgae could hit the capital Manila, a sprawling metropolis of more than 13 million people, and bring “intense with at times torrential rains.”

“Widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected,” while there was “minimal to moderate risk of storm surges” or huge waves hitting coastal areas, she added.

“Based on our forecasts, this one is really strong, so we really prepared for it,” Alejandro said, adding that 5,000 rescue teams are on standby.

He urged residents in the storm’s path to stay home before the storm spills into the South China Sea early Sunday.

“Unless it’s necessary or important, we should avoid going out today because it’s dangerous and could harm you,” Alejandro said.

More than 7,000 people were evacuated before the storm made landfall, the civil defense agency said.

The Coast Guard has also grounded ferry services through most of the archipelago due to rough seas, stranding hundreds of vessels and thousands of passengers in ports.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it had grounded more than 100 flights so far.

The storm hit at the start of a long weekend in the Philippines, with millions returning to their hometowns to visit their loved ones’ graves.

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving vast regions in perpetual poverty.

Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy vital infrastructure, will intensify as the world warms due to climate change.