The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials reported that the massive storm triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.
Our team saved fourteen people stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “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, authorities announced at least two deaths: one from drowning on the island and a second individual who died when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
Per the state weather service, its maximum winds dropped 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 north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.
Scientists report that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from the new storm.
