The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
