The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
