🔗 Share this article

The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.

Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”

By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Storm Intensity and Projected Path

The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.

According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is projected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Environmental Factors

Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.

Searches for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.

The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.

Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.

International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.

The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.