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The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of residents across the country.

Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes being swept away by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident frantically contacted us, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”

As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and a second individual killed after her home gave way on Samar island.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.

According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.

Previous Storms and Climate Impact

Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for the missing persons were halted on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.

The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and common. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.

Researchers report that the rate of super-typhoons striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause an average of millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.

The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage from the prior typhoon and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.