The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making cyclones more intense and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists report that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
