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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 more than 1.4 million individuals.

Authorities stated that the massive storm caused extensive flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people nationwide.

Widespread Damage and Rescue Efforts

In the town of Pandan, a severely affected area, emergency crews recorded 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 on the roof 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 at risk of tearing away by the wind. We saved him along with four family members.”

By Monday, authorities announced two fatalities: one from drowning on the island and another who died after her home gave way in eastern Samar.

Typhoon Strength and Forecast

The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday as it crossed the Philippines’ largest island, home to the national capital.

According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, but gusts peaked at over 170 mph.

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

Relief and Assessment

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

Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.

Previous Storms and Environmental Factors

The typhoon hit shortly following Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed at least 224 people and left dozens unaccounted for prior to advancing toward Vietnam, where it killed five.

Search operations for the missing persons had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.

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

Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has risen by more than 100% over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in an average of millions in dollars in losses for the Philippines annually.

The Philippine president issued an emergency declaration last week due to the severe damage caused by Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.