The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
