The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Officials stated that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching 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 stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
