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The Philippines has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in at least two people dead and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.

Authorities reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, mudslides, and fierce high-velocity gusts, leading to the evacuation of millions of people across the country.

Extensive Damage and Emergency Operations

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching rooftop levels and homes being swept away by strong flows.

Our team rescued 14 individuals who were trapped on the roof surrounded by water in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official explained. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”

By Monday, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and another killed after her home gave way in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The super typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

Per meteorological authorities, its maximum winds dropped from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is expected to lose strength while heading in the direction of Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

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

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

Previous Storms and Environmental Factors

Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

Search operations for those still missing were halted recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.

The climate crisis is causing cyclones more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the twenty-first storm to impact the nation in 2025.

Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones striking the islands has increased doubled over the last two decades.

International estimates suggest that intense storms result in approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines every year.

The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week due to the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from Fung-wong.