The Philippines 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 massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
