The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
