The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning 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, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
