Disaster officials warn 30 million people at risk as the country braces for another deadly storm
Nearly one million people have been evacuated across the Philippines as Typhoon Fung-wong intensified into a super typhoon, bringing torrential rain, destructive winds and widespread power outages across the archipelago.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 916,860 residents in high-risk coastal and mountain areas have been ordered to move to safer ground ahead of the storm’s expected landfall late Sunday night.
Authorities said Fung-wong began battering the country’s eastern seaboard early Sunday, lashing provinces along the Pacific coast with violent winds and flooding rains.
The storm, which rapidly strengthened over the Philippine Sea, is now packing sustained winds of 115 mph and gusts reaching up to 140 mph.
Communities in the Bicol region, one of the country’s most disaster-prone zones, were among the first to be evacuated. The area lies near Mayon Volcano, where loose volcanic debris can mix with torrential rainfall to create deadly mudflows.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr warned that Fung-wong’s massive size means its effects could be felt across nearly the entire length of the country from Aurora and Isabela provinces in northern Luzon to the Visayas region, including the capital Manila and Cebu City, which is still reeling from the devastation of Typhoon Kalmaegi days earlier.
“We ask people to pre-emptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute,” Teodoro said in a televised address. “Such operations could endanger the lives of police, soldiers, firefighters and coast guard personnel.”
Officials said more than 30 million people could face risks ranging from storm surges and landslides to flash floods and high winds.
Emergency shelters, schools, and municipal halls have been converted into evacuation centres as disaster teams prepare for the storm’s peak impact.
In Isabela province, dozens of families have taken refuge in a local basketball court turned shelter. “We’re scared,” said evacuee Christopher Sanchez, 50. “We’re here with our grandchildren and our kids. The whole family is in the evacuation area.”
Hundreds of domestic and international flights were cancelled as airports suspended operations, while sea travel was halted in affected regions.
Power and communication lines in several towns were reported down as heavy rain and strong winds swept through.
The disaster comes less than a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed over 200 people, left hundreds injured, and displaced tens of thousands in the central Philippines. Around 100 remain missing, adding to the strain on emergency resources.
Meteorologists say Fung-wong is expected to make landfall in Aurora province in central Luzon by late Sunday or early Monday before crossing the main island and weakening over the South China Sea.
International aid agencies have placed response teams on standby, citing concerns that successive storms could worsen food shortages and disease outbreaks in flood-prone communities.
Tornado Devastates Southern Brazil
While the Philippines battles the super typhoon, Brazil’s southern Paraná state is reeling from a powerful tornado that killed at least six people and injured more than 750, according to state officials.
The twister tore through multiple towns, overturning vehicles, uprooting trees, and leaving a path of destruction across the region.
Around 1,000 residents were displaced as homes and businesses were flattened.
Roads were blocked and power lines brought down, hampering rescue and recovery efforts. “We will continue to assist the people of Paraná and provide all the help needed,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Emergency teams remain on the ground, working to restore electricity and assess damage in what local meteorologists described as one of the strongest tornadoes to hit southern Brazil in years.
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