The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by strong flows.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
