The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon 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 widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching 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. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
