The island nation was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the massive storm triggered widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.
“Our personnel saved 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
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 tens of thousands of households.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events result in approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
