(CNN) The extent of the damage inflicted by Typhoon Mangkhut on the northern Philippines was difficult to assess Sunday as fierce winds were replaced by flood waters, blocking access and aid to affected areas.

At least two people were killed as the world's strongest typhoon this year, known locally as Ompong, slammed into the Southeast Asian country in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Mangkhut ripped roofs off buildings, uprooted trees, blocked roads with debris and dumped water on fields of crops that farmers weren't able to harvest ahead of the storm.

The typhoon is closing in on Hong Kong which raised its typhoon warning alert again on Sunday morning local time to T10, the highest level, as the storm swirled 220 kilometers (136 miles) south-southeast of the island.

A man uses his umbrella while crossing a road as super Typhoon Mangkhut edges closer to Hong Kong on September 16, 2018.

Mangkhut could be one of the strongest storms to hit Hong Kong in more than six decades, but the city is well prepared for wild weather and started shutting down, closing shops and suspending travel as Mangkut approached.

The storm system is currently moving at 30 kilometers per hour (19 miles per hour) towards the coast of western Guangdong, mainland China, according to the Hong Kong Observatory

Mangkhut slams into the Philippines

When it made landfall in the Philippines Saturday morning at 1:40 a.m. local time, Mangkhut was packing winds of up to 270 kph (165 mph), 120 kph (75 mph) stronger than Hurricane Florence that hit North Carolina

While the death toll is likely to rise, there was some relief in the Philippines that it doesn't appear to have been as fatal as other recent, less powerful, storms.

Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A man looks out of a damaged building in Hong Kong after Typhoon Manghkut. Hide Caption 1 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Evelyn Wigan wipes away a tear as she waits for news of missing relatives who were near the site of a deadly landslide in Itogon, Philippines. Hide Caption 2 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Rescuers in Itogon continue search operations on Wednesday, September 19. Dozens have been confirmed dead in the landslide, and dozens are still missing. Hide Caption 3 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Workers in Hong Kong clean up scaffolding that had been knocked down by the storm. Hide Caption 4 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A man holds an umbrella as he walks past fallen trees in Hong Kong on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 5 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A former school in the Hong Kong village of Shek O was destroyed by Typhoon Mangkhut. Hide Caption 6 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Rescue workers wade through floodwaters during a rescue operation in Macau on September 16. Hide Caption 7 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Huge waves surge in Shenzhen, China, on September 16. Hide Caption 8 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Rescuers evacuate areas in Macau. Hide Caption 9 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A taxi is left abandoned after breaking down in Hong Kong. Hide Caption 10 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Fierce winds and rain pierced this building in Hong Kong. The typhoon tore off roofs, downed trees and caused cranes to swing ominously. Hide Caption 11 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Rescuers assist a mother and her child after the deadly landslide in the Philippines. Hide Caption 12 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut The landslide scarred this hillside. Hide Caption 13 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Strong winds churn waves on Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. Hide Caption 14 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Hong Kong residents rest in a shelter on September 16. Hide Caption 15 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Rescue workers help a woman to cross a flooded street in the village of Lei Yu Mun, in Hong Kong on Sunday. Hide Caption 16 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A tree sits after falling onto a school bus in Hong Kong. Hide Caption 17 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Debris from houses destroyed by Typhoon Mangkhut lay scattered on the ground in Tuguegarao city in northeastern Philippines, on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 18 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Villagers look down an alleyway filled with seawater in Lei Yu Mun on Sunday. Hide Caption 19 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut People walk through a flooded shopping mall in Heng Fa Chuen district on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 20 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut People battle strong winds as they cross a street in China's Guangdong province on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 21 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Workers transfer sacks of grains from a toppled truck in northeastern Philippines on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 22 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A security guard wades across floodwaters in Heng Fa Chuen on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 23 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A fire rescue worker helps a child cross a flooded street in the village of Lei Yu Mun in Hong Kong. Hide Caption 24 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A policeman walks through makeshift tent shelters damaged by strong winds in Tuguegarao. Hide Caption 25 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A man takes a photograph as waves crash over a promenade in Hong Kong, on Sunday. Hide Caption 26 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Residents stand by a flooded road in Tuguegarao city in northeastern Philippines, on Saturday, September 15. Hide Caption 27 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A wave overwhelms a man as he tries to recover salvageable materials in Manila, Philippines, on Saturday, September 15. Hide Caption 28 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut An elderly man waits for a taxi as Typhoon Mangkhut edges closer to Hong Kong, on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 29 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut People pray inside of a temple ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Mangkhut in Sanhe village, China, on Saturday. Hide Caption 30 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Fishermen remove their boat from the water ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Mangkhut on the outskirts of Zhanjiang, China, on Saturday. Hide Caption 31 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Volunteers and police check on residents after Typhoon Mangkhut hit Tuguegarao, Philippines, on Saturday. Hide Caption 32 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A family shares a meal by flashlight inside a temporary evacuation center after electricity was shut off following the onslaught of Typhoon Mangkhut in the city of Tuguegarao, Philippines, on Saturday. Hide Caption 33 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut An elderly Filipino woman copes in the typhoon-hit town of Aparri, Philippines, on September 15. Hide Caption 34 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Members of a family survey their heavily damaged home in Alcala, Philippines, on September 15. Hide Caption 35 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A basketball hoop is toppled in Tuguegarao City, Philippines, on September 15. Hide Caption 36 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Philippine soldiers help a man with a sick child after fallen electric poles blocked an ambulance transporting them in Baggao, a town north of Manila, on September 15. Hide Caption 37 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A woman weeps as she describes her family's experiences during the typhoon in Baggao on September 15. Hide Caption 38 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Crews work to clear a road of debris in Baggao on September 15. Hide Caption 39 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Motorists negotiate a flooded street in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 40 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Children collect recyclable materials washed ashore in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 41 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A motorist tries to avoid the flooding in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 42 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Residents make their way through destroyed stalls at a public market in Tuguegarao City on September 15. Hide Caption 43 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Commuters push a car through floodwaters in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 44 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Motorists push their motor bikes through a flooded street in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 45 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Commuters brave the elements in Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 46 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Strong winds and rain batter buildings in Tuguegarao City on September 15. Hide Caption 47 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Street sweepers go about their daily business as rain and strong winds pound Manila on September 15. Hide Caption 48 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Guests sleep inside a hotel restaurant after strong winds damaged the roof of their room in Tuguegarao City on September 15. Hide Caption 49 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Heavy rain falls in Tuguegarao City on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 50 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Officials conduct a patrol in Aparri ahead of the typhoon on September 14. Hide Caption 51 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A satellite image shows the width and trajectory of Mangkhut as it approaches the Philippines on September 14. Hide Caption 52 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A farmer gathers his herd of cows to a safe place as the typhoon nears Tuguegarao City on September 14. Hide Caption 53 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Fishermen secure a boat in Aparri before the storm arrives on September 14. Hide Caption 54 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Villagers from Aparri cut tree branches on September 14 in preparation for the massive storm. Hide Caption 55 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut An evacuee rests inside an evacuation center in Tuguegarao City on September 14. Hide Caption 56 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A volunteer moves through relief goods September 14 as Tuguegarao prepares for the typhoon's arrival. Hide Caption 57 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Residential buildings in Hong Kong are reflected in a McDonald's restaurant window, taped in preparation for Typhoon Mangkhut, on September 14. Hong Kong and Macau are currently in the typhoon's path. Hide Caption 58 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Workers lay sandbags at the waterfront of the Lei Yue Mun area of Hong Kong on September 14. Hide Caption 59 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut People secure the roof of a house in Tuguegarao on September 14. Hide Caption 60 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut A worker steps over sandbags ahead of the typhoon's arrival in Hong Kong on September 14. Hide Caption 61 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Fishermen work amid the rough seas near Aparri on September 14. Hide Caption 62 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives for a government briefing on the typhoon at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Quezon City on Thursday, September 13. Hide Caption 63 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Duterte, second from left, observes the disaster agency's operation center in action in Manila on September 13. Hide Caption 64 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut High-rises are visible above choppy waters in Hong Kong's Wan Chai District on Wednesday, September 12. Hide Caption 65 of 66 Photos: In photos: Typhoon Mangkhut Sailors remove debris on a US naval base in Guam on Tuesday, September 11, after the typhoon swept through the island territory , causing flooding and power outages. Hide Caption 66 of 66

More than 6,000 people died when Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines five years ago, the worst in a generation. That storm displaced nearly 4 million people. Many of the survivors ran short of food, water and medicine almost immediately.

"Honestly, we were expecting the worst from this," Edgar Posadas, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) told CNN, of Mangkhut.

"I was praying and hoping and worried about having so much casualties. But I think after Yolanda, after Haiyan [the international name for Yolanda], there were a lot of lessons that were learned in terms of preparedness, early warnings, preemptive evacuations... and this went a long way."

The two people confirmed dead were rescue workers, said Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Both victims were women, killed when a rain-drenched hillside collapsed on them, according to the French news agency AFP.

As of Saturday, the storm had caused 51 landslides across the region.



A resident walks beside a toppled basketball court after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Tuguegarao city, Cagayan province.

The Philippines military is sending two C-130 airplanes and 10 helicopters to Cagayan province for typhoon relief and rescue efforts, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Saturday, according to Philippine News Agency (PNA).

They'll fly from Manila once the weather improves, Lorenzana said, carrying aid and allowing rescuers to reach remote areas of the mountainous north.

Earlier, in the provincial capital Tuguegarao, strong winds lashed buildings, pulling off entire roofs and throwing large chunks of debris into the air.

The Governor of Cagayan, Manuel Maamba said emergency services are clearing debris from main roads. Power and communication lines are also down, making it hard to contact more remote areas and assess damage.

Tuguegarao airport in northern Luzon, a vital transportation hub, has also been damaged, potentially complicating efforts to bring in humanitarian aid.

The Philippines Red Cross said waters were rising in parts of Tuguegarao. Video on social media showed people in the city wading through ankle-deep water, amid torrential rains.

Typhoon #OmpongPH at its worst in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province as of 12:30 a.m. @cnnphilippines pic.twitter.com/MJ3XRaUM3p — Rex Remitio (@RexRemitio) September 14, 2018

"There was plywood and shards of glass flying through the corridors," storm chaser James Reynolds, who was in a hotel in Santa Ana, in Cagayan, told CNN. "It must be hell for the people out there living in huts and fragile homes, must be terrifying."

The scale of the typhoon could be felt in the Philippines capital Manila, more than 340 km (200 miles) from the eye of the storm, where heavy overnight rains have led to widespread flooding in urban areas.

Heading to China

Mangkhut's eye is now over water in the South China Sea and making its way toward Hong Kong and southern China. The Hong Kong Observatory urged the public to stay on the alert and said the typhoon will be closest around noon Sunday.

Residents taped up windows and secured anything that could take flight in strong winds.

A resident tapes up her front entrance window in the fishing village of Tai O in Hong Kong on September 15, 2018.

Strong winds and heavy rain hit Hong Kong during the early hours of Sunday, and conditions are expected to intensify as the day goes on. Current sustained winds are at 165 kph (102 mph) with wind gusts of up to 205 kph (127 mph), according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Wind gusts of over 100 kph (62 mph) have already been recorded at a number of locations in the city, according to CNN's Weather Unit, which predicts wind speeds will increase in the coming hours.

Flights from Hong Kong International Airport were delayed or canceled Sunday, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers. Travelers were urged to check with their airlines.

Train, bus and ferry services to the airport were also suspended, though the airport remains open for passengers who have nowhere else to go.

Typhoon Mangkhut will make another landfall on Sunday night in the Chinese province of Guandong near the cities of Yangjiang and Zhanjiang.

From there the system will continue to move westward and will rain itself out over northern Vietnam, which could lead to some flooding there early next week.