The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching 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 efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
