MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 85 people dead with 75 others missing in the central Philippines, many in widespread flooding that trapped people on their roofs and swept away cars in a hard-hit province still recovering from a deadly earthquake, officials said Wednesday.

A t least three people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes as a typhoon ripped through the central Philippines, the country's disaster agency said. Typhoon Kalmaegi has flooded large areas, including entire towns on the island of Cebu.

A fast-moving typhoon is barreling across the central Philippines after slamming ashore overnight, leaving at least two people dead, setting off flash floods that trapped residents on roofs and engulfed cars in two villages,

In the event of a war, officials believe local forces must hold out for at least a month before reinforcements from allies arrive.

Typhoon Kalmaegi was forecast to slam into shore Monday night or early Tuesday. It was last spotted about 95 kilometers (59 miles) southeast of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, with sustained winds of up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 170 kph (106 mph).

Domestic challenges threaten to derail the military’s efforts to upgrade its capabilities and reorient itself toward new strategic priorities.