The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father 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.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
