The cruel one typhoon “Fung-Wong” caused heavy rains and storms in the northern Philippines. However, thanks to precautionary measures, conditions in the island nation are lighter than previously thought.
The typhoon hit Aurora province on Sunday evening (local time) as a super typhoon and triggered floods and landslides there and in the surrounding region. At least two people died and more than 1.4 million people had to flee their homes, according to the national disaster management agency. Reports of five-year-old twins dying in a landslide are still being investigated. “Fung-Wong” has now weakened and is heading towards Taiwan.
Preventive evacuations are starting to bear fruit
According to the weather service, wind gusts reached speeds of more than 230 kilometers per hour when the storm made landfall. More than 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and several bridges were impassable. More than 150 cities and towns were without electricity and 13 regions were without water.
Schools and authorities remained closed at the start of the week and more than 400 domestic and international flights were cancelled. About 7,000 people were stuck at the port after the coast guard stopped shipping traffic in the affected area.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised the preventive evacuation of more than 1.4 million people as critical to reducing the number of victims and called for further precautionary measures as the typhoon season is not over.
Second severe typhoon in a week
“Fung-Wong”, who’s in Philippines Called “Uwan,” the storm hit the Philippines just a week after Typhoon “Kalmaegi,” which caused massive flooding in the country’s central region. 224 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured. Additionally, more than 100 people are still missing.
On average, about 20 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines every year. One of the strongest storms was super typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,300 people in November 2013.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251110-930-271499/1
