The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left 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 destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying 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 confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
