The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
