NewStorm-hit Philippines sees relief as weakened Typhoon Hagupit starts moving away

A storm that began as a frighteningly powerful typhoon started to blow away from the Philippines today after leaving at least 21 people dead and forcing more than a million into shelters.

Typhoon Hagupit dissipated into a tropical depression after crossing Lubang Island, 135 kilometres southwest of Manila, and was blowing into the South China Sea, forecasters said.

Batangas, the last major province lashed by Hagupit overnight, has so far not reported any casualties or major damage, echoing similar assessments from many central Philippines provinces spared of major losses.

“With God’s grace, there are zero casualties and no injuries because we were able to prepare,” said Mayor Rodolfo Manalo of Batangas’ idyllic San Juan town, a flood-prone coastal community popular for its beach resorts, where more than 2,800 villagers fled to a public gymnasium before the storm slammed ashore.

Many of the archipelago’s central provinces were still reeling from last year’s monster Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and a massive trail of destruction, fuelling worries about Hagupit as it approached from the Pacific with menacing gusts of 250 km/h last week.