Typhoon Fung Wong : 1 Million People Evacuated from Philippine Coast

Manila. Super Typhoon Fong-wong (local name Wuan), the most powerful typhoon to directly affect the Philippines this year, made landfall on the country’s northeast coast on Sunday, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain. The high speed has knocked out power across the country and forced the evacuation of nearly 1 million people.

Fang-wong is expected to bring about two-thirds of the Southeast Asian archipelago within its 1,600-kilometer-wide (994-miles) wind and rain range. The typhoon was rapidly approaching the Pacific Ocean before it reached the Philippines, while the country was still reeling from the devastation caused by the recent typhoon Kalmegi. Kalmegi killed at least 224 people in the country’s central provinces on Tuesday.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a nationwide state of emergency over the destruction of Kalmagi and possible damage from Fang-wong. According to the Philippine Meteorological Department, Phang-wong is expected to enter the coastal area near the city of Pandan in eastern Catanduanes province by Sunday afternoon. The storm, which has sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts up to 230 kph (143 mph), is expected to move northwestward and land on the coast of either Aurora or Isabela provinces by Sunday evening or early Monday. Visibility has been severely limited in the affected areas due to torrential rain and thick fog.

In the Philippines, tropical cyclones with speeds of 185 kilometers per hour or more are classified as “super typhoons” — a classification applied to highlight the risks associated with increasing extreme weather conditions in recent years.

Coastal villages in the northeast of the country’s northeast, especially in Bicol province, are at high risk of flooding and mudslides. It is also home to one of the country’s most active volcanoes, Mayon. Authorities said they had evacuated more than 9.16 million people from high-risk areas.

The head of the defence ministry, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., said in a televised address on Saturday that “Fang Wong is very powerful”. Its impact could affect large swaths of the country — especially the recently devastated Central Provinces, Cebu, and the capital city of Metropolitan Manila. ’

According to the Civil Defense Office, more than three million people are likely to be directly at risk of Fang-Vong. Teodoro urged residents in high-risk areas to evacuate immediately and follow authorities’ instructions. Therefore, preparedness is a life-saving measur