The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday 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 rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
