The Philippines 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 stated that the massive storm triggered extensive flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and common. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.