Typhoon Rai wrecked 1.5 million houses in the Philippines: Report

Compared with 2013's Super Typhoon Haiyan, Rai made more landfalls in several major islands of Bohol, Cebu, Negros, and Palawan, leaving a much wider scope of destruction in more populated areas of the country [File: Jilson Tiu/Greenpeace via Reuters]

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) estimates Super Typhoon Rai destroyed or damaged a “staggering” number of houses as it tore across the Philippines in December, leaving more than 400 people dead.

In an update on Tuesday, the IFRC said its assessments indicated the storm destroyed or damaged “a staggering 1.5 million houses, more than any other typhoon in recent decades”.