The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident 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, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and common. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
