The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
