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The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Officials reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts

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

Our team rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” 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 saved him and four relatives.”

As of Monday morning, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way on Samar island.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.

The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading north toward Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The country’s emergency management agency stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.

Previous Storms and Environmental Factors

The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.

Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.

The climate crisis is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025.

Scientists have found that the rate of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased by more than 100% in the past twenty years.

International estimates indicate that intense storms result in an average of US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines every year.

The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.