The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
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.
