The Philippines has been hit hard 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 massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive 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 the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
