The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials stated that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest 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 peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
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 Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
