The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
