The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people 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 at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds 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.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and common. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
