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

Officials reported that the powerful weather system caused extensive sudden floods, coastal inundation, landslides, and destructive high-velocity gusts, leading to the relocation of millions of people across the country.

Extensive Damage and Rescue Efforts

In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams documented rising waters climbing to rooftop levels and homes washed out by the powerful currents.

“Our personnel rescued 14 individuals who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. “A father frantically contacted us, saying the roof of his house was at risk of tearing away due to the storm. We saved him along with four family members.”

As of Monday morning, officials announced at least two deaths: one from drowning in Catanduanes and a second individual who died when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.

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 the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 185 km/h to 165 km/h, though wind bursts were still reaching more than 275 km/h.

The cyclone is projected to continue weakening as it moves in the direction of Taiwan.

Relief and Assessment

The country’s emergency management agency indicated it was still working to evaluate destruction to infrastructure and homes.

Roughly thousands of shelters were activated to temporarily house 92,000 families.

Recent Context and Climate Impact

Fung-wong struck just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi, that claimed hundreds of lives with dozens unaccounted for before moving on to Vietnam, causing five deaths there.

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

Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and common. Fung-wong is the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

Researchers have found that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.

Global assessments suggest that intense storms cause an average of millions in dollars in damage for the Philippines every year.

The nation’s leader declared a state of emergency on Thursday because of the extensive devastation from Kalmaegi and anticipated impacts from the new storm.