The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
