The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended 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 hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
