The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.
Officials stated that the powerful weather system triggered widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
As of Monday morning, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.
Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts peaked at over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has risen doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.
