The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed after her home gave way 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, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
