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.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened 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 to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
