The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials stated that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves 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.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and common. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that intense storms result in approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
