The Philippines was severely impacted 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 powerful weather system triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main 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 projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
