The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country annually.
The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
