The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines every year.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
