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The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left at least two people dead and displaced more than 1.4 million individuals.

Authorities reported that the powerful weather system triggered widespread flash flooding, coastal inundation, mudslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the evacuation of 1.4 million residents across the country.

Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences washed out by strong flows.

“Our personnel rescued fourteen people who were trapped on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. One resident also called in panic, reporting his home’s roof was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We rescued him along with four family members.”

By Monday, authorities announced at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.

Storm Intensity and Forecast

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The storm system is expected to continue weakening while heading in the direction of Taiwan.

Response and Recovery

The national disaster response service stated it was still working to assess damage to infrastructure and homes.

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres were activated to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

The typhoon hit shortly following another severe storm, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on toward Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Searches for the missing persons had to be suspended recently over risks for rescue workers.

The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation 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 severe weather events cause an average of US$3.5 million in damage to the country every year.

The Philippine president issued a state of emergency last week due to the severe damage caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from Fung-wong.