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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.

Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.

Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”

By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.

Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.

The cyclone is projected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.

Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.

Scientists report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.

International estimates indicate that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.

The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.