The Philippines has declared a nationwide state of emergency as the country braces for the impact of Tropical Storm Fung-Wong, following the devastation left by Typhoon Kalmaegi.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made the declaration early Thursday, Nov. 6, according to the Associated Press. Typhoon Kalmaegi has already claimed 114 lives amid severe flooding, the outlet reported.
According to a statement from the Philippines Office of Civil Defense, Fung-Wong is moving westward toward Yap Island in Micronesia and is expected to make landfall in North-Central Luzon on Monday, Nov. 10.
“Wind Signals may be hoisted over the eastern portion of Luzon and portions of Samar Provinces as early as tomorrow evening or Saturday morning in anticipation of strong winds or higher associated with the upcoming tropical storm,” the statement said.
Officials also warned of hazardous sea conditions: “Moderate to rough seas may begin over the northern and eastern seaboard of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao tomorrow or on Saturday. Western and southern seaboards of Luzon may reach moderate to rough sea condition by mid Saturday or on Sunday.”
The agency cautioned that surrounding seas could become “very rough, high, very high, or phenomenal” as the storm intensifies.
Cebu, a central province, has suffered particularly severe damage, with 127 people still missing. Many of the deaths have been attributed to drowning in the floodwaters. The storm moved from the Philippine archipelago to the South China Sea on Wednesday, Nov. 5, according to the AP.
The Office of Civil Defense estimated that around 2 million people have been affected, with more than 560,000 displaced — including roughly 450,000 evacuated to emergency shelters.
“We did everything we can for the typhoon but, you know, there are really some unexpected things like flash floods,” Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro told the AP.
Disaster response officials said the storm raced across the central Philippines on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with sustained winds reaching 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph).
In a separate tragedy, six people were killed on Tuesday when a Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur province during a humanitarian mission, according to the AP and Reuters. Authorities confirmed that the victims’ bodies have been recovered.
