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

Officials stated that the powerful weather system triggered extensive flash flooding, coastal inundation, landslides, and fierce gale-force winds, prompting the relocation of 1.4 million residents nationwide.

Extensive Destruction and Rescue Efforts

In Pandan, Catanduanes, one of the worst-hit regions, disaster response teams documented rising waters climbing to the tops of houses and residences being swept away by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” an emergency official stated. “A father frantically contacted us, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”

As of Monday morning, authorities announced 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 was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

Per the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at over 170 mph.

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

Relief and Assessment

The country’s emergency management agency stated it was still working to assess damage on buildings and roads.

Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to accommodate 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Environmental Factors

The typhoon hit just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people with another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

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

Global warming is causing tropical storms more intense and frequent. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

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

International estimates indicate that intense storms result in approximately US$3.5 million in damage for the Philippines annually.

The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage from the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.