The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
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 on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
