Kate McGeown of the BBC was just saying on the news here that the casualties would have been a lot worse if precautions hadnt been taken in the run-up to the arrival of the typhoon, on this occasion.
"This typhoon was much stronger than Typhoon Washi, which took virtually the same path as Typhoon Bopha this time last year. Washi killed more than 1,300 people.
But this time people were prepared. They'd been warned by phone messages and the media, the government issued appeals and set up a special website, and soldiers even came to take people to safety from at-risk areas.
There were other influential factors too - in Washi rivers overflowed to a far greater extent than they did this time, and Bopha did slow a bit before it hit some vulnerable areas.
There's still been substantial damage to homes, crops and infrastructure. But there's little doubt that by being better prepared, many lives have been saved."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20604423
