The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
