Heavy damage was reported to homes and farmland in the northern Philippines on Oct. 20 after the strongest storm in three years struck overnight. Typhoon Haima barreled into northern Cagayan and Isabella provinces, ripping the roofs off homes and flattening crops. By late Oct. 21, 13 people had been reported dead, and Haima had hit southern China. Nearly every building in the city of Tuguegarao was damaged, according to officials quoted in the Philippine media. The city’s communication links were down and phone calls to the archdiocesan office in Tuguegarao did not go through. Across the district, many roads were flooded or blocked by fallen trees. Aid groups said the disruption made it difficult to assess the extent of damage; one aid official called it “a communications black hole.”

This article appears in November 7 2016.