Homes flattened as typhoon roars through Philippines

Strong winds and waves brought by Typhoon Hagupit pound the seawall in Legazpi City, Albay province southern Luzon December 7, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (

MANILA (Reuters) - A powerful, slow-moving typhoon ripped through the central Philippines on Sunday, bringing howling winds that flattened houses and toppled trees and power lines in areas still scarred from a deadly super-storm just over a year ago.

In the coastal villages of Dolores, on Samar island, where Typhoon Hagupit first made landfall on Saturday night, Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo said around 80 percent of homes were destroyed.