The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
