The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out 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 frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently over risks for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased doubled in the past twenty years.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
