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The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.

“Our personnel saved 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”

As of Monday morning, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The intense storm was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.

Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.

Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to accommodate tens of thousands of households.

Recent Context and Environmental Factors

The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.

Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.

Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.

The nation’s leader issued an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.