The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered extensive sudden floods, 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, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists report that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
