The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened 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 dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
