The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.
Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team saved fourteen people who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” an emergency official explained. “A father also called in panic, saying his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.
Per meteorological authorities, 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 lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
Fung-wong struck shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists report that the rate of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates indicate that intense storms cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared a state of emergency last week because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
