The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms result in approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
