The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. One resident also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed two fatalities: 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 typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
