Past lessons avoid Typhoon disaster

Typhoon Hagupit knocked out power in coastal provinces, mowed down trees and sent more than 650,000 people into shelters as it roared through the Philippines, but lessons from last year’s disaster seem to have avoided mass deaths.

Hagupit slammed into Eastern Samar province in the central Philippines then lost strength as it barrelled westward across a string of island provinces. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 87 mph and gusts of 106 mph, considerably weaker from its peak power, but still a potentially deadly storm, according to forecasters.