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The Philippines has been hit hard by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.

Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, coastal inundation, mudslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of 1.4 million people across the country.

Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching the tops of houses and residences washed out by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”

As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Projected Path

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over 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 peaked at more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is expected to lose strength as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Roughly 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, that claimed hundreds of lives and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, where it killed five.

Searches for the missing persons were halted on Sunday over risks to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is causing tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.

Scientists report that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has risen doubled in the past twenty years.

Global assessments indicate that severe weather events cause approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines every year.

The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week because of the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.