Preemptive action was taken in northern Mindanao, expected to feel the full force of the typhoon, but in the end it was the less prepared communities of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, further south and east, that bore the brunt. Many people either didn't hear warnings or didn't heed them, expecting the typhoon to hit further north, as usually happens.

The disaster has left about a quarter of a million homeless and affected more than 5 million people overall, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday.