The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Forecast
The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest 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 projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger 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 risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events result in approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
