The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters climbing to rooftop levels and residences washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people who were trapped atop a house surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident frantically contacted us, reporting 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, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
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 meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is expected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making cyclones more intense and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates suggest that intense storms result in an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.
The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
