Super Typhoon Fung-wong Batters Philippines, Over 1 Million Evacuated
Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the strongest storm to threaten the Philippines this year, began impacting the country’s northeastern coast today, forcing over a million people to evacuate and prompting urgent warnings from officials.
The typhoon, with sustained winds reaching 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts up to 230 kph (143 mph), was located near the town of Pandan in Catanduanes province this morning. State forecasters predict landfall on the coasts of Aurora or Isabela province later today or early Monday. The storm’s vast size – with a rain and wind band spanning 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) – poses a threat to a significant portion of the archipelago. This comes just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 224 people dead in the central Philippines and five in Vietnam.
More than a million residents have been evacuated from high-risk areas, particularly in the Bicol region, which is prone to cyclones and volcanic mudflows from Mayon. “The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility,” said Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer for Catanduanes, adding that rescue teams saved 14 people trapped on a flooded roof and a family whose roof was threatened by the wind. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. warned that the storm could impact a wide area, including metropolitan Manila and Cebu, which was heavily affected by Kalmaegi, and urged residents to heed evacuation orders. A state of emergency has been declared due to the widespread devastation.
Power outages have been reported in several eastern towns, and over 325 domestic and 61 international flights have been canceled. Authorities are warning of a “high risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge” along the coasts of over 20 provinces and regions. The Philippines, situated in the Pacific typhoon belt, experiences around 20 typhoons and storms annually, making disaster preparedness crucial for the nation.
Officials are continuing to monitor the storm’s path and are prepared to provide assistance, with the United States and Japan offering support. Teodoro emphasized the importance of immediate evacuation, stating, “We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people.”
