The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” 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 saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another who died after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms result in approximately millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
