🔗 Share this article

The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Authorities stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts

In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”

By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.

Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

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

Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

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

The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and common. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.

Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines every year.

The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.