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 stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
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 indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
