The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Officials stated that the massive storm triggered extensive flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting 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 announced two fatalities: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts were still reaching over 170 mph.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The country’s emergency management agency indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Approximately thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Recent Context and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.
Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended recently over risks to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is making cyclones stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms cause approximately US$3.5 million in losses for the Philippines annually.
The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong.
