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The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.

Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”

By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

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

The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.

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

Previous Storms and Climate Impact

The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.

Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.

Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.

International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in an average of millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.

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