Super Typhoon Fung-Wong devastates Luzon
At least 27 dead and millions affected as floods submerge towns and hamper rescue efforts
Super Typhoon Fung-Wong has killed at least 27 people and left two others missing as floodwaters remain across dozens of towns in northern Luzon, where relief operations are racing to reach families trapped by the deluge. Authorities say more than 3.59 million people have been affected and over 40,000 houses damaged after the Category 5 storm made landfall in Aurora province. Officials reported 578 flooding incidents, power outages in nearly 500 cities and towns, communications down in 121 areas, and water supply disruptions in 29 municipalities, complicating search-and-rescue and aid deliveries.
Relief teams and local governments are repacking and distributing food to those in evacuation centers and to families still unable to return home. In many communities entire houses remain submerged up to their rooftops days after the storm; residents are using boats to check on properties and salvage belongings. Some who stayed in two-story homes remain on upper floors or rooftops, waiting for waters to recede so they can begin cleaning and recovery.
Officials and residents warn that recovery is being hampered by a string of recent storms. Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the central Philippines before Fung-Wong, leaving hundreds dead, many missing and hundreds injured; the succession of cyclones has eroded coping capacity and slowed rebuilding. Local leaders described the repeated shocks as wearing on communities’ resilience even as they emphasized efforts to respond.
Damage to infrastructure is widespread: 668 schools, hospitals and public facilities reported damaged, 625 roads and 78 bridges affected, and many coastal highways and access routes washed out—an aerial survey of Dipaculao town in Aurora showed collapsed sections of coastal road that have cut off vehicular access. Emergency repair operations are under way to restore connectivity, and heavy equipment has been moved into areas where roads were cleared.
More than 1,000 cities and towns suspended classes and hundreds suspended work as services remain disrupted. Shelters are operating at capacity in the hardest-hit areas, and thousands remain displaced or isolated as floodwaters and blocked routes delay aid. Authorities caution that saturated ground from repeated storms increases the risk of landslides and slows drainage, meaning recovery and restoration of services will likely take days to weeks.
