Super typhoon threat forces more than a million people to leave their homes in the Philippines

O Fung-wong, the greatest to threaten the This year, it began hitting the country’s northeast coast this Sunday (9), forcing more than a million people to leave high-risk regions – including Bicol, a coastal region vulnerable to cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes – on the recommendation of Civil Defense.

With a band of rain and wind 1,000 miles wide, the typhoon approached the and threatens to cover two-thirds of the archipelago, while the population is still dealing with the devastation caused by typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead last Tuesday (4).

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the calamity expected upon Fung-wong’s arrival. As the typhoon approached, several regions in the east of the country were left without electricity.

Fung-wong was spotted by meteorologists this Sunday morning over the coastal waters near the city of Pandan, in the eastern province of Catanduanes; according to experts, the typhoon has winds of up to 185 km/h and gusts of up to 230 km/h.

The forecast is that it will head northwest and reach the coast of the province of Aurora or Isabela at the end of Sunday or beginning of Monday, 10th, according to information from meteorologists. Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 km/h or more are classified in the Philippines as super typhoons, a designation adopted to emphasize the urgency associated with more extreme weather disturbances.

“The rain and wind were so strong that visibility was almost zero,” Catanduanes disaster mitigation officer Roberto Monterola told the Associated Press. According to him, there are still no reports of victims.

Despite calls for residents to evacuate disaster-prone areas on Saturday (8), some remained in their homes. “Our team rescued 14 people who were trapped on the roof of a flooded house,” said Monterola. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him, along with four family members.”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees the country’s disaster response agencies and armed forces, warned of the potentially catastrophic impact of Typhoon Fung-wong in a televised address. He said the storm could affect a wide area of ​​the country, including Cebu, the central province hit hardest by Typhoon Kalmaegi, and Metro Manila, the densely populated capital, seat of power and financial center of the country.

More than 30 million people could be exposed to the risks posed by the typhoon, according to the Office of Civil Defense. Teodoro asked the population to follow authorities’ orders to immediately move away from towns and cities prone to flooding: “We need to do this because, when it is already raining or the typhoon hits the region and the floods start, it is difficult to rescue people,” he said.

The Philippines did not request international assistance following the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi, but Teodoro said the United States, the country’s longtime ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance.

Authorities in the northern provinces, which would be hit sideways by the typhoon, ordered the closure of schools and most government agencies on Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled and more than 6,600 passengers and cargo workers were stranded in more than 100, where the coast guard prohibited navigation in rough seas.

The Philippines is hit by around 20 typhoons and storms a year. The country also suffers from and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

*With information from Estadão Conteúdo