The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed 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 north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 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 Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
