The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated 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 just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
