Typhoon Fung-wong departed the northwestern Philippines on Monday after causing floods and landslides, leading to power outages across entire provinces. The natural disaster resulted in a minimum of eight fatalities and forced over 1.4 million individuals to evacuate. The typhoon was projected to move northwest towards Taiwan.
Fung-wong struck the northern Philippines at a time when the nation was still recovering from the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which caused significant destruction, claiming the lives of at least 224 people in central provinces before moving on to Vietnam, where five fatalities were reported.
Making landfall in northeastern Aurora province on Sunday night as a super typhoon with sustained winds reaching up to 185 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 230 kilometers per hour, Fung-wong weakened as it traversed through mountainous regions and agricultural plains, eventually moving away from the province of La Union into the South China Sea.
Multiple fatalities were reported across different provinces due to flash floods, landslides, and collapsing structures. Over 1.4 million residents sought refuge in emergency shelters or with relatives before the typhoon hit, with around 318,000 individuals still in evacuation centers by Monday. The destructive winds and heavy rainfall affected 132 northern villages, causing severe damage to properties and leaving some residents stranded on rooftops.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency due to the widespread devastation caused by the consecutive typhoons, Kalmaegi and Fung-wong. The Philippines categorizes tropical cyclones with sustained winds exceeding 185 kilometers per hour as super typhoons to emphasize the severity of such extreme weather events.
Despite the significant impact of the typhoons, the Philippines has not requested international assistance. However, the United States and Japan have expressed readiness to provide aid if needed. Schools and most government offices were closed, flights were canceled, and maritime activities were halted to ensure safety during the inclement weather.
The Philippines, prone to natural disasters, experiences about 20 typhoons and storms annually, in addition to earthquakes and volcanic activities, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.