The Philippines has been hit hard 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 caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency indicated 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.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
