The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Officials reported that the massive storm caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased 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 lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making cyclones more intense and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause approximately millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The nation’s leader issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
