The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at 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 stated it was still working to evaluate destruction 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, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines every year.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
