The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the massive storm caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at 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.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
