The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house 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: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
