The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
