The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The intense storm weakened to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
