Sierra Madre Didn’t Stop Typhoon Uwan, Storm Chaser Says
Many Filipinos believed that the Sierra Madre mountain range played a key role in weakening Super Typhoon Uwan, also known internationally as Fung-Wong, when it approached northern Luzon.
Social media was flooded with posts thanking the mountains for supposedly protecting the east coast of Luzon from the storm’s full force, with some even crediting the Sierra Madre for preventing widespread devastation in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
However, American storm chaser Josh Morgerman of iCyclone clarified that this popular belief is inaccurate. In a Facebook post on November 10, 2025, Morgerman explained that while the Sierra Madre can weaken typhoons after they make landfall, the mountains do not prevent strong storms from hitting Luzon.
The east coast of Luzon regularly experiences some of the world’s most powerful tropical cyclones, and the mountains alone cannot shield communities from these disasters. Morgerman’s insights are based on years of personal experience chasing and studying severe typhoons, giving him an informed perspective on the subject.
Despite Morgerman’s clarification, many Filipinos remained convinced that the Sierra Madre acted as a natural barrier, and some even personified it as a guardian spirit or diwata, similar to the legendary Maria Makiling. This belief was fueled by social media trends, creative imagery, and the deep faith of the people, who also included the Caraballo and Cordillera ranges in their gratitude, dubbing them the “Guardians of Luzon.”
While the mountains are indeed impressive natural formations created by God, the message Morgerman and experts hope to convey is that these ranges do not replace proper disaster preparedness and safety measures. Filipinos are encouraged to respect and care for these natural wonders rather than rely solely on them for protection, remembering that the true safeguard lies in awareness, planning, and responsible stewardship of the environment.