The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.