The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
