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The Philippines was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.

Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.

Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”

By Monday, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.

Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is projected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.

Approximately 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.

Previous Storms and Environmental Factors

Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.

Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation this year.

Scientists report that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled over the last two decades.

Global assessments indicate that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage to the country annually.

The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.