Philippines Begins Recovery After Typhoon Fung-wong — 18 Dead, 1.4M Displaced; Taiwan Braces for Heavy Rain

Philippines begins recovery after Typhoon Fung-wong

Rescuers armed with backhoes, chainsaws and boats have started clearing debris and pumping out floodwaters across dozens of communities after Typhoon Fung-wong struck the northern Philippines, officials said. The national death toll rose to 18 as authorities reported widespread displacement and infrastructure damage.

Scope of the damage

Fung-wong, which displaced about 1.4 million people, weakened into a severe tropical storm as it moved toward Taiwan, where officials warned of up to 400 millimetres (nearly 16 inches) of rain within 24 hours ahead of an expected landfall. In the Philippines, the storm compounded the devastation left by last week’s Typhoon Kalmaegi, which reportedly killed 232 people in the central islands.

Isolated towns and disrupted lifelines

In coastal Isabela province a town of roughly 6,000 remained cut off, and parts of neighbouring Nueva Vizcaya were also isolated after landslides blocked access routes. Alvin Ayson, a Cagayan Valley spokesman, said rescuers were struggling to reach some communities because of blocked roads and collapsed slopes.

“We are struggling to access these areas,” Ayson said, noting that many residents are currently in evacuation centres and will face long, difficult rebuilding when they return home.

Officials confirmed one of the fatalities was a 10-year-old boy killed by a landslide in Nueva Vizcaya. The new death toll — 18 — was released by national civil defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro.

Recovery challenges

Alejandro warned that even an initial recovery phase would take weeks. “The greatest challenge for us right now is the restoration of lifelines, road clearing, and restoration of power and communication lines, but we are working on it,” he said. On hard-hit Catanduanes island, water-supply repairs could take up to 20 days.

Local resident Jossa Floranza described repeated displacement: her neighbourhood had been moved after an earlier storm and her family’s new home was wrecked again. “We thought we were safe here... I am very tired of this. So tired,” she said.

Rescue operations and eyewitness accounts

In the Cagayan region, a flash flood in Apayao province caused the Chico River to overflow, forcing residents onto rooftops, rescue chief Rueli Rapsing reported. An AFP journalist rode with rescuers using boats to navigate streets chest- to waist-deep in water to evacuate trapped people. Some multi-storey buildings still held residents on upper floors.

Residents such as 24-year-old Mark Lamer of Tuao town described Fung-wong as the strongest typhoon they had experienced, with water levels higher than ever recorded locally. Authorities said more than 5,000 people were evacuated ahead of an overflow of the Cagayan River that inundated parts of Tuguegarao city.

Climate context and wider response

Scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is increasing the intensity of tropical storms: warmer oceans fuel rapid intensification, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, producing heavier rainfall. Last week’s Typhoon Kalmaegi also caused catastrophic flooding and destruction in the central Philippines; President Ferdinand Marcos announced a one-year extension of the national calamity declaration issued for that storm.

Across the Taiwan Strait, President Lai Ching-te urged residents to avoid mountains, beaches and other hazardous areas as authorities prepared for heavy rain and strong winds.

Reporting credits: AFP; latest local civil defence updates.