The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest 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 peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
