🔗 Share this article

The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.

Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”

As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way on Samar island.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.

Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.

Previous Storms and Environmental Factors

Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.

Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.

Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.

International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.

The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.