🔗 Share this article

The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Officials stated that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of millions of people across the country.

Widespread Destruction and Emergency Operations

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented floodwaters climbing to the tops of houses and homes washed out by strong flows.

Our team saved fourteen people stranded on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”

By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed after her home gave way on Samar island.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the main island, where the capital is located.

According to meteorological authorities, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching over 170 mph.

The cyclone is projected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

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

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for the missing persons were halted recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is making tropical storms stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.

Researchers have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.

International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.

The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.