The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
