As darkness fell over the Philippines on Sunday, November 9, 2025, Super Typhoon Fung-wong—known locally as Uwan—made its ferocious landfall in the northeastern province of Aurora, unleashing winds that howled at 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph) and sent gusts screaming up to 230 km/h (143 mph). According to the Associated Press, the storm’s massive rain and wind band, stretching nearly 1,800 kilometers, threatened to engulf up to two-thirds of the archipelago, a region already battered by nature’s fury just days before.
For millions of Filipinos, the arrival of Fung-wong was not merely another storm warning—it was a test of resilience in the face of back-to-back disasters. The country was still reeling from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which had swept through the central provinces earlier in the week, leaving at least 224 people dead in the Philippines and five more in Vietnam, as reported by BBC News and NBC News. The devastation wrought by Kalmaegi prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of emergency, a measure that would soon prove prescient as Fung-wong’s approach forced further evacuations and emergency measures across Luzon, the country’s most populous island.
In the hours leading up to landfall, more than one million people—by some counts, nearly 900,000—were evacuated from high-risk villages and coastal areas in the storm’s path, according to the Philippine Office of Civil Defense and the AFP news agency. Families packed into sports centers, churches, and makeshift shelters, many still haunted by memories of previous disasters like Typhoon Haiyan, which killed over 6,000 people in 2013. "We decided to evacuate because the recent typhoon brought floods in our area, and now I just want to keep my family safe," Norlito Dugan told AFP from a church shelter in Sorsogon, echoing the anxiety felt by many.
For those tasked with ensuring public safety, the scale of the challenge was daunting. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. addressed the nation, urging, “We ask that people preemptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute, which could put the lives of police, soldiers, firefighters and coast guard personnel at risk.” Despite these warnings, some residents stayed behind to guard their homes and livelihoods. In Sabang, Aurora, Hagunoy, a 21-year-old hotel worker, told BBC News that he would remain as long as possible to protect the property, even as police made repeated rounds to enforce evacuations. Staff tied windows shut with rope and secured gates, hoping to minimize damage.
The Philippine meteorological service, PAGASA, had issued its most severe warnings for Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, and Camarines Norte, forecasting more than 200 millimeters (almost eight inches) of rainfall across Luzon on Sunday and Monday. The agency warned of a “high-risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3 meters [10 feet],” threatening widespread flooding and landslides. In Catanduanes, an island in the east of the Bicol region, extreme conditions were reported early Sunday morning. Roberto Monterola, a disaster officer, described the scene to NBC News: “The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility.”
Tragically, the storm claimed lives even before its eye crossed the coastline. A villager drowned in flash floods in Catanduanes, and a 64-year-old woman perished while attempting to evacuate from Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province, as reported by AFP and Newsweek. Despite the best efforts of local authorities, including the rescue of 14 people trapped on a flooded rooftop and a family whose home was nearly ripped apart by the wind, the dangers proved inescapable for some.
As Fung-wong’s eyewall battered Dinalungan town in Aurora, the nation braced for cascading disruptions. According to the Associated Press and BBC News, nearly 300 flights—both domestic and international—were canceled, stranding more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers in at least 109 seaports, where the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas. Schools and most government offices in northern provinces were preemptively closed for Monday and Tuesday, with many classes shifting online to keep students safe. In Metro Manila, home to millions, authorities warned that 100-200 millimeters of rain could trigger severe urban flooding and landslides.
For some, the storm’s timing could not have been worse. Rescue operations following Typhoon Kalmaegi were suspended as Fung-wong’s approach made conditions too dangerous for responders. The government’s declaration of a state of calamity, first issued after Kalmaegi, gave agencies greater access to emergency funds and expedited the delivery of essential goods and services. As BBC News described, “Some poorer neighbourhoods were obliterated by the fast-moving flash floods” from Kalmaegi, and the prospect of another super typhoon left many residents deeply anxious about their safety and future.
Unverified footage circulating on social media showed the storm’s power: heavy winds battering bridges in southern Luzon, floodwaters surging through streets, and coastal waves breaching gardens and seawalls. The storm was expected to weaken as it crossed northern Luzon and exited over the Lingayen Gulf early Monday, but would still maintain typhoon strength—remaining a threat to communities in its path. PAGASA warned that sea travel was “risky for all types or tonnage of vessels,” and advised mariners to remain in port or seek safe harbor immediately.
The Philippines’ vulnerability to such disasters is rooted in geography and climate. The country sits in the Pacific’s typhoon belt, with about 20 tropical cyclones forming in the region each year—half of which directly affect the archipelago. As reported by BBC News, while climate change is not expected to increase the number of storms, it is likely to make those that do form more intense, with higher wind speeds, heavier rainfall, and greater risks of coastal flooding. Warmer ocean temperatures and a hotter atmosphere, scientists say, are fueling these supercharged storms, turning what might once have been manageable typhoons into life-altering catastrophes.
As Fung-wong’s rains continued to lash Luzon and beyond, the nation’s attention turned to the long road ahead: recovery, rebuilding, and reckoning with a future where such storms may become even more powerful. For now, the immediate concern remains the safety of those in harm’s way—and the hope that, through preparation and resilience, the Philippines can weather yet another test from the elements.
