The Philippines was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and displaced over a million residents.
Officials reported that the powerful weather system triggered widespread sudden floods, storm surges, landslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, prompting the relocation of millions of people across the country.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, emergency crews documented floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences being swept away by strong flows.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, officials announced two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed on Samar island.
Typhoon Strength and Forecast
The super typhoon was downgraded to a typhoon on Monday morning as it crossed the main island, where the capital is located.
According to the state weather service, its maximum winds decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.
The cyclone is projected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left another 135 missing before moving on to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines in 2025.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.
International estimates suggest that intense storms result in approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country every year.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week because of the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.