The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
