The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
