The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
