The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the massive storm triggered extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon early Monday while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to accommodate 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation in 2025.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
Global assessments suggest that intense storms result in approximately millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
