The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon 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 extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main 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, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
