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The island nation has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Officials stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations

In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and homes washed out by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We rescued him and four relatives.”

By Monday, officials confirmed two fatalities: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.

Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds dropped from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

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

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Approximately thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate tens of thousands of households.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.

Global warming is making tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.

Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons striking the islands has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause approximately millions in dollars in losses to the country annually.

The Philippine president issued a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.