The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
