The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
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.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
