The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
