Powerful typhoon causes flooding, rips off roofs

A powerful typhoon was blowing across the Philippines on Tuesday after slamming ashore overnight in an eastern province. Typhoon Kammuri damaged houses and an airport and knocked out power after tens of thousands of people fled for safer ground. It had maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 235 kph as it headed toward a cluster of island provinces and coastal regions lying south of Manila.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. Officials warned of storm surges and prolonged heavy rain. More than 100,000 residents evacuated before the typhoon made landfall, abandoning homes in coastal and low-lying areas prone to flash floods and landslides, the Office of Civil Defence said.