The Philippines 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 powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team saved 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
