Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines

Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines
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Surging floodwaters swamp a coastal village in Pandan, Catanduanes island province, as Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit the Philippines on November 9, 2025. (Pandan municipality handout photo / via AFP)
Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines
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This screengrab obtained from a social media video shows strong ocean waves crashing into the village of Sicmil in Gigmoto, Catanduanes, as Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit the Philippines on November 9, 2025. (Dyves Meno Turado/via REUTERS)
Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines
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A man walks along a destroyed rail bridge in Guinobatan town, Albay province, south of Manila on November 9, 2025, after Super Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall. (AFP)
Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines
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Rescuers evacuate residents to safer grounds Laurel, Batangas province, Philippines as Typhoon Fung-wong affects the country on Nov. 9 2025. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
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Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines

Typhoon Fung-wong leaves wide swath of destruction, displaces 1.4 million people in northern Philippines
  • At least two reported dead as typhoon sets off floods and landslides and knocks out power in many provinces
  • Fung-wong slammed ashore in Luzon island on Sunday night with 185 kph winds, but weakened as it raked through the mountainous north

MANILA: Typhoon Fung-wong blew out of the northwestern Philippines on Monday after setting off floods and landslides, knocking out power to entire provinces, killing at least two people and displacing more than 1.4 million others.
It was forecast to head northwest toward Taiwan.
Fung-wong lashed the northern Philippines while the country was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in central provinces on Tuesday before pummeling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.
Fung-wong slammed ashore in northeastern Aurora province on Sunday night as a super typhoon with sustained winds of up to 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph).

The 800-kilometer (1,100-mile)-wide storm weakened as it raked through mountainous northern provinces and agricultural plains overnight before blowing away from the province of La Union into the South China Sea, according to state forecasters.
One person drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, and another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province when her house collapsed on her, officials said.

More than 1.4 million people moved into emergency shelters or the homes of relatives before the typhoon made landfall, and about 318,000 remained in evacuation centers on Monday.
Fierce wind and rain flooded at least 132 northern villages, including one where some residents were trapped on their roofs as floodwaters rapidly rose. About 1,000 houses were damaged, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense and other officials said, adding that roads blocked by landslides would be cleared as the weather improved on Monday.
“While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas” in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila,” Alejandro said. “We’ll undertake today rescue, relief and disaster-response operations.”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency on Thurday due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected damage from Fung-wong, which was also called Uwan in the Philippines.




Vehicles speed past damaged electric posts along a highway at Polangui in Albay province, south of Manila, on November 9, 2025, after Super Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall. (AFP)

Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) or higher are categorized in the Philippines as a super typhoon to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.
The Philippines has not called for international help following the devastation caused by Kalmaegi, but Teodoro said the United States, the country’s longtime treaty ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance.
Authorities announced that schools and most government offices would be closed on Monday and Tuesday. More than 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled over the weekend and into Monday, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in ports after the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.
The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country also has frequent earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.


Mexico unveils security operation in violent Michoacan state after brazen assassination of mayor

Mexico unveils security operation in violent Michoacan state after brazen assassination of mayor
Updated 58 min 30 sec ago

Mexico unveils security operation in violent Michoacan state after brazen assassination of mayor

Mexico unveils security operation in violent Michoacan state after brazen assassination of mayor
  • Michoacan state has seen new waves of violence after Carlos Manzo, mayor of the city of Uruapan in Michoacan, was shot dead during Day of the Dead celebrations on Nov. 1

MEXICO CITY: The government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Sunday unveiled plans to fight organized crime and improve security in the violence-ridden state of Michoacan after the brazen public assassination of a local mayor sent shockwaves through the country.
More than 10,500 members of Mexico’s army, air force and National Guard are part of the operation, called the Michoacan Plan for Peace and Justice, to crack down on criminal groups, combat extortion and dismantle drug labs and training camps, officials said at a press conference.
The plan implies an investment of 57 billion pesos , Sheinbaum said.
Michoacan state has seen new waves of violence after Carlos Manzo, mayor of the city of Uruapan in Michoacan, was shot dead during Day of the Dead celebrations on November 1. Manzo had been an outspoken critic of the federal government for not doing more to confront organized crime.
Officials said they will strengthen Michoacan state police and the state attorney general’s office. Helicopters, surveillance aircraft and drones are among the technology resources dedicated to the operation. The plan also includes bolstering resources for welfare, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and employment.
Senior officials of Sheinbaum’s administration, including Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue, participated in the announcement at Mexico’s National Palace on Sunday.
“A special effort is being made for the people of Michoacan,” Sheinbaum said, adding that she will personally follow up on the plan’s progress every 15 days and provide public updates.
The shocking assassination of Manzo, who had given a speech and carried around his young son in his arms moments before the shooting, sparked outrage, pressuring Sheinbaum’s government to act on a worsening security crisis.
Citrus and avocado producers in the state have for years denounced extortion, kidnappings and killings linked to cartel violence. A leader from the local lime sector, Bernardo Bravo, was killed in October.
Manzo’s wife, Grecia Quiroz, was sworn in on Wednesday to replace her husband as mayor of Uruapan and vowed to continue his fight against organized crime groups.
Seventeen-year-old Victor Manuel Ubaldo was identified on November 6 by authorities as the perpetrator of Manzo’s shooting. Ubaldo was killed by security forces at the scene. The Michoacan state prosecutor’s office said additional individuals were involved in the incident.