🔗 Share this article

The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Officials stated that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.

Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.

Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”

By Monday, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Storm Intensity and Projected Path

The intense storm 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 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.

Previous Storms and Climate Impact

Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.

Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.

International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.

The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.