Typhoon Fung-wong Kills at Least Six in the Philippines, Forces 1.4M to Evacuate as Storm Heads Toward Taiwan

Manila — Typhoon Fung-wong ("Uwan")

Typhoon Fung-wong moved out of the northwestern Philippines on Monday after triggering widespread floods, landslides and power outages that killed at least six people and displaced more than 1.4 million residents. The storm, which struck northeastern Aurora province as a super typhoon late Sunday, is now forecast to track toward Taiwan.

Impact and casualties

Forecasters said Fung-wong made landfall with sustained winds near 115 mph and gusts up to 143 mph. At roughly 1,100 miles across at its widest, the system weakened as it battered mountainous northern provinces and low-lying agricultural plains before moving off La Union province into the South China Sea.

Local officials reported multiple fatalities: one person drowned in flash floods in Catanduanes province; a woman was killed when her home collapsed in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar; three children died in two separate landslides in Nueva Vizcaya (towns of Kayapa and Kasibu), leaving four others injured; and an elderly resident was killed in a mudslide in Barlig, Mountain Province. The Office of Civil Defense said it had not received reports of missing people related to Fung-wong as of Monday.

Displacement, damage and disruptions

More than 1.4 million people evacuated to emergency shelters or the homes of relatives before landfall; about 318,000 remained in evacuation centers on Monday. Fierce winds and heavy rain flooded at least 132 villages in northern Luzon; in one community, residents were forced onto rooftops as waters rose rapidly. Officials estimated roughly 1,000 houses were damaged, and landslides blocked roads that crews planned to clear once conditions improved.

Transport and logistics were heavily affected: authorities canceled more than 325 domestic and 61 international flights, and over 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded at ports after the coast guard halted sea travel. Schools and many government offices were closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Government response

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency on Thursday following the devastation left by earlier Typhoon Kalmaegi and the expected impact from Fung-wong. Kalmaegi had earlier killed at least 224 people in central Philippines before moving on to Vietnam, where officials reported at least five deaths. The Philippines has not requested international assistance for Kalmaegi's damage, though officials said long-standing partners, including the United States and Japan, stand ready to help if asked.

“While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila,” Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense said. “We will continue rescue, relief and disaster-response operations.”

Context and outlook

Scientists warn that human-driven climate change is making tropical storms stronger and less predictable: warmer seas enable faster intensification, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, increasing heavy rainfall. The Philippines—situated on multiple fault lines and home to more than a dozen active volcanoes—remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

What’s next: Authorities are monitoring the storm’s track toward Taiwan, conducting search-and-rescue where possible, and restoring critical services as road access improves. Relief operations and damage assessments continue across affected provinces.