The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Officials stated that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island 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 Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to 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 projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
