The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened 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 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
