The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the massive storm caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
