‘URSULA’

Christmas Typhoon in Philippines Kills 20, Strands Thousands

The storm led to the evacuation of more than 58,000 people and stranded travelers over the holiday.

Typhoon Phanfone—known locally as Ursula—ravaged three provinces in the central Philippines over the Christmas holiday, killing at least 20 people. The typhoon was upgraded from a tropical storm just before it made landfall on Tuesday around 5 p.m. More than 58,000 people in the largely Catholic nation were evacuated, and thousands more were stranded or kept from spending the holiday with their families. The storm caused severe damage to homes, felled trees, set off landslides, cut electricity in several provinces, and flooded low-lying villages. Some roads were impassable on Thursday, and emergency services were distributing food and medical aid throughout the area.