The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
