The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
