The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
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 92,000 families.
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is causing cyclones stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
Maya Chen is a freelance writer and urban enthusiast with a passion for documenting city life and cultural shifts.
