The island nation 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 flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main 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 were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen 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 for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
