Super Typhoon Fung-wong has wreaked havoc across the Philippines, leaving at least two dead and displacing over 1.4 million people. The storm hit the archipelago only days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, compounding already difficult conditions in the region affected by bad weather. Fung-wong produced constant winds of 165 km/h and gusts in excess of 275 km/h. Its impact spanned about a third of the country, flooding the Mid-Atlantic and triggering damaging tornadoes from heavy rain and wind over hundreds of miles.
Early Monday morning, Fung-wong downgraded to a tropical storm. It made landfall across Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Even with this downgrade, the storm still brought big-time devastation, causing flash floods, storm surges, landslides and gales. The government has mobilized about 6,000 evacuation centers to house over 92,000 families displaced from their homes.
Tragically, following the storm’s passage, we have seen confirmed reports of at least two deaths. At least four dead, one drowned in Catanduanes and two others when their houses collapsed in eastern Samar. Rescue efforts remain as disaster-response teams serve around the clock to get help to those persecuted by this storm’s wrath.
Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer for Catanduanes, provided a narrative of some of the rescue operations.
“Our personnel rescued 14 people who were trapped on the roof of a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,”
Fung-wong is now expected to gradually weaken as it makes a beeline north toward Taiwan. In how it has influenced the Philippines, its effect has been nothing short of groundbreaking. As a result, in the last two decades, the number of super-typhoons hitting the nation has more than doubled. This concerning trend has federal and state officials concerned about the increasing recurrence of these catastrophic inundations.
“A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has responded to the disaster by declaring a state of emergency across the devastated communities. This important shift will allow for a more unified response to the crisis. As millions are mobilized in recovery efforts, the damage caused by Fung-wong is only just beginning to be assessed.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has responded to the situation by declaring a state of emergency in affected areas, enabling a more coordinated response to the crisis. As recovery efforts begin, the full extent of Fung-wong’s devastation is still being assessed.