The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system 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 to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
