The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation 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 recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines every year.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
