The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people 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 causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
