The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
