Super Typhoon Fung-wong — called Uwan in the Philippines — began battering the country’s northeastern coast on Sunday, cutting power in some areas and forcing the evacuation of nearly one million people as authorities prepared for landfall.
Government forecasters said Fung-wong’s rain and wind band could span about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles), potentially covering roughly two-thirds of the archipelago. The storm was tracked before noon Sunday over coastal waters near Pandan in eastern Catanduanes province, where torrential rain and fog limited visibility. Forecasters expected the typhoon to move northwest and make landfall on the coast of Aurora or Isabela province late Sunday or early Monday.
Fung-wong’s sustained winds were reported at up to 185 kph (115 mph) with gusts to 230 kph (143 mph). In the Philippines, tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph or higher are designated as super typhoons, a classification meant to convey the urgency of extreme storms.
More than 916,860 people were evacuated from high-risk villages in northeastern provinces, including the Bicol region, which is especially vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and volcanic mudflows. The Office of Civil Defense said over 30 million people could be exposed to hazards from the storm.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees disaster response and the military, warned in televised remarks that Fung-wong could have catastrophic impacts across a vast area and urged immediate evacuations from flood-, landslide- and surge-prone communities. “We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people,” he said. He added that areas potentially affected included Cebu — already hard hit by the recent Typhoon Kalmaegi — and metropolitan Manila.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency following the devastation from Kalmaegi and in anticipation of Fung-wong’s effects. Kalmaegi struck central island provinces earlier in the week, leaving at least 224 people dead in the Philippines before moving on to Vietnam, where at least five more were reported killed. Images from the recent disaster showed damaged homes and mourners in Cebu province.
Authorities said the country had not requested international assistance after Kalmaegi, but that longtime ally the United States and Japan stood ready to provide aid if needed. As Fung-wong approached, several eastern towns experienced power outages.
Preparations included preemptive closures: northern provinces ordered the shutdown of schools and most government offices on Monday and Tuesday. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled over the weekend into Monday, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded at about 109 seaports after the coast guard barred vessels from venturing into rough seas.
Officials warned of a high risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge of more than 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) along the coasts of over 20 provinces and regions, including parts of metropolitan Manila.
The Philippines averages about 20 typhoons and storms annually and is frequently affected by earthquakes and volcanic activity, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.