The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength 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.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in approximately US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
