The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
