The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed 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 were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
