Typhoon Fung-Wong Leaves Trail of Damage in Philippines Before Heading Toward Taiwan
Typhoon Fung-wong has weakened after tearing through the Philippines, killing at least four people, displacing over a million, and leaving widespread flooding and power outages across the main island of Luzon.
The super typhoon, which hit on Sunday night with winds reaching 185km/h (115mph) and gusts of up to 230km/h (143mph), made landfall in Aurora province before crossing Luzon and moving northwest over the South China Sea. It’s now heading toward Taiwan, where forecasters expect it to arrive by Thursday.
The Philippines had braced for the impact after days of warnings. Around 1.4 million people were evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival, as authorities feared a repeat of the devastation left by Typhoon Kalmaegi just a week earlier, which killed more than 200 people. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the government’s early evacuations helped prevent higher casualties. “We ask people to pre-emptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute,” he said.
By Monday morning, rescue teams were clearing blocked roads and debris while military and coast guard units joined efforts to reach communities cut off by floods and landslides. “We’re seeing many damaged houses and some of our main roads were not passable due to landslides,” said rescue worker Geofry Parrocha from Dipaculao.
Officials confirmed four deaths — including a woman found under debris in Catbalogan City, a person who drowned in Catanduanes, and two children buried by a mudslide in Nueva Vizcaya province. Several others were injured.
The country’s Office of Civil Defense said more than 30 million people may have been affected by the storm’s winds, rains, and floods. “While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas,” warned Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, who oversees disaster response operations.
Floodwaters swept through at least 132 villages in northern Luzon, while parts of Bicol province saw streets turned into raging rivers. Nearly 320,000 people are still sheltering in evacuation centers, and power remains out in many towns. The storm also forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded more than 6,000 travelers in ports after the coast guard banned sea travel due to rough conditions. Schools and government offices were ordered to close in several provinces. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency before the typhoon made landfall, giving government agencies access to emergency funds for disaster response and recovery efforts.
While Fung-wong weakened quickly after landfall, authorities warned of continuing heavy rains and possible landslides in northern provinces. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said it would issue alerts as the storm’s center nears the island later this week. Scientists say storms like Fung-wong are becoming more powerful as climate change warms the oceans, which allows typhoons to strengthen faster and bring heavier rainfall.
