SAN JULIAN, Philippines, Dec 9 (AFP): A giant storm left the Philippines Tuesday after killing at least 27 people and devastating remote coastal towns, but the government won praise for unprecedented preparations that were credited for saving lives.
Hagupit hit the far eastern island of Samar on Saturday with winds of 210 kilometres (130 miles) an hour, making it the most powerful typhoon in the Philippines this year and threatening widespread destruction.
Most of the 27 people reported by the Red Cross to have been killed were on Samar, one of the nation's poorest islands where thousands of homes in fishing communities facing the Pacific Ocean were torn apart.
In San Julian, a tiny farming and fishing town on Samar, mother-of-four Rosario Organo sat with a daughter in front of their ruined bamboo and palm thatch home on Tuesday.
"My only wish is that my family could get a good night's sleep," Organo, 41, told AFP as neighbours sifted through the debris of their destroyed houses to start rebuilding, using salvaged material.
In San Julian and neighbouring coastal towns, Hagupit's winds had snapped coconut trees and power lines, cutting off roads and making the delivery of supplies difficult.
The military flew emergency flights with food, water and other essentials from Cebu to the worst-affected areas on Samar on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Manuel Roxas said 200,000 people were believed to be in need of help on eastern Samar, but this could rise as more comprehensive assessments were carried out in isolated communities.
Storm leaves Philippines after killing 27
FE Team | Published: December 10, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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