The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
