The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
