The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward 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 have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming 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 frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
