Two international storm chasers — Josh Morgerman and James Reynolds — are currently in the Philippines tracking and monitoring the path of Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong).
Morgerman, an American storm chaser who documents his experiences on his YouTube channel “iCyclone,” announced his arrival in Manila on November 8, a day before Uwan made landfall in Aurora — before making his way to Baler, Aurora. Since then, Morgerman has made frequent posts on social media documenting the typhoon’s progress, noting the large waves crashing against the town’s shores and the extreme change in weather conditions.
In an interview with GMA, Morgerman referred to the Philippines as a “magical body of water,” due to its ability to produce strong, intense tropical cyclones. “Every time I come to the Philippines, I’m ready for the worst,” said Morgerman.
“The storm was not as severe as feared here, fortunately,” Morgerman wrote in a November 10 Facebook post. “The chief impact seemed to be the large destructive waves which pounded the seawall, inundated buildings, and damaged property.” Prior to Typhoon Uwan, Morgerman had been in Jamaica covering Hurricane Melissa.
Meanwhile, Reynolds, a British storm chaser who documents a variety of natural disasters on his YouTube channel “Earth Uncut TV,” arrived in the Philippines earlier this November to cover Typhoon Tino in Abuyog, Leyte. He has since traveled to Baler to record the impact and aftermath of Typhoon Uwan. “Huge weight behind some of these waves smashing into the waterfront of Baler,” Reynolds wrote in a November 9 Facebook post. “They’re continuing to grow and get heavier as the day progresses and Typhoon Uwan / Fung-wong gets closer.”
In a YouTube video posted on November 10, Reynolds showed the roads and trees destroyed by Typhoon Uwan in an area north of Baler. “Any roads or structures which [were] on the immediate coastline did not stand a chance,” said Reynolds.
Typhoon Uwan is the Philippines’ 21st tropical cyclone this year. It made landfall in Aurora as a super typhoon on the evening of November 9, but was downgraded to the status of a typhoon on November 10. Although Uwan is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility either on the evening of November 10 or early morning of November 11, reports are already coming in on the devastation it has left in its wake. The typhoon has already killed at least two people as of writing, and over one million residents have been displaced, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
