The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
