The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines every year.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
