The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system triggered extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction 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 just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
