The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
