The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed at least 224 people with dozens unaccounted for 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 to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing cyclones more intense and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
