The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
