The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of residents across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration last week due to the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
