The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
