TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan evacuated more than 3,000 people from vulnerable areas and closed schools and offices on Tuesday ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Fung-wong, which killed at least 25 people and displaced more than 1.4 million in the Philippines.

Rescuers using backhoes and chainsaws began digging the Philippines out from the devastation of Typhoon Fung-wong on Tuesday, as floodwaters receded in hundreds of villages and the storm's death toll climbed to 18.

“While Typhoon Uwan has exited our landmass, it will continue to bring rains to Luzon, and our operations to help local government units and their constituents continue,” he said, adding that there was “still danger” in certain areas.

Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the biggest storm to threaten the Philippines this year, started battering the country's northeastern coast ahead of landfall on Sunday.

Entire villages lay submerged and scores of towns remained without electricity on Monday as Typhoon Fung-wong left the Philippines after killing at least five people and displacing more than a million.

Super Typhoon Fung-Wong arrives amid growing concerns about the Philippines' vulnerability to successive major storms. The nation is still recovering from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which devastated the region just days earlier, killing 204 people in the Philippines and five more in Vietnam while causing widespread destruction across Southeast Asia.

Judy Bertuso feeds her husband Apollo in a tent on a basketball court in Quezon City. Apollo, 65, is recovering from a stroke.

Political analysts say persistent natural disasters could sustain public frustrations and anti-government protests.