The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon 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 dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
