The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped 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 national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events result in an average of millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
