The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system triggered extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
