Typhoon Hagupit spares Philippines of major losses
The storm battered remote coastal communities and damaged infrastructure along its path. There was, however, relief that it did not cause massive casualties and widespread destruction.
Year's strongest typhoon
Hagupit, the powerful storm to hit the nation since Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of the country and left thousands dead last year, slammed the country's eastern coast Saturday evening. The heavy rains and strong winds brought by the typhoon blew away rooftops, felled trees and knocked out power and communications.
Capital shut down
The typhoon, which made landfall in the eastern province of Samar, passed over the main northern island of Luzon where the country's capital Manila - a city of 12 million people - is located. Schools and government offices in the city remained closed, while dozens of commercial flight services were canceled.
Massive evacuations
More than a million people sought shelter in churches, schools and other makeshift evacuation centers ahead of the storm, in a bid to stay away from the typhoon's path. The preparations were part of an effort by the government to keep the death toll to a minimum, particularly after a spate of storms resulted in the deaths of thousands of people in the recent past.
Destruction
Despite the efforts, the storm is believed to have left at least 27 people dead so far. But this figure is far lower than that caused by Typhoon Haiyan, which flattened entire villages and left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in November 2013.
Returning home
Many of those shifted to evacuation shelters in the Southeast Asian nation's eastern provinces are returning to their homes after the typhoon passed over their regions.
Tens of typhoons
In recent years, the country has seen unusually strong storms that scientists have warned are linked to climate change. Storms earn the super typhoon status when winds exceed 240 kilometers per hour. An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year and the country is often the first major landmass impacted by typhoons and major tropical storms that are formed in the Pacific Ocean.
The most powerful ever
Typhoon Haiyan - considered the world's strongest-ever typhoon to make landfall - slammed into the country' coastal regions. The storm particularly affected the communities on the islands of Samar and Leyte. One of the worst-hit cities by Haiyan was Tacloban, where giant storm surges left thousands dead and destroyed the infrastructure.