The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
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 meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts 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 indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
