The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
