Tropical storm Florita exits Philippines; death toll at four

Farmer Rosita Guzman inspects her corn farm in Cabagan, Isabela, on Aug 24 after Florita (Ma-on) crossed Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the Ilocos regions. - PDI

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): More than 3,600 families (12,127 people) from 149 villages in Cagayan province remained in evacuation centres on Wednesday (Aug 24) following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Florita (international name: Ma-on), which was already outside the Philippine area of responsibility after battering northern Luzon for two days.

As of 5pm Wednesday, 'Florita' was 585km west of Calayan, Cagayan, packing a maximum sustained winds of 110 km per hour near the center with a gustiness of 135 kph, according to an advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).