The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting 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 announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
