Philippines gets 'lucky' on typhoon

More than a thousand people fled their homes as floods unleashed by Super Typhoon Saola swept through mainly rural villages in the northern Philippines.

Saola brushed past northeast Luzon overnight Saturday and continued south just off the Pacific coast packing winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour.

Residents of coastal communities vulnerable to high winds and large waves were moved to higher ground on Isabela province's Pacific coast, as were those on the northern tip of Cagayan province to the north and Ilocos Sur province on Luzon's northwest coast.

"It's raining constantly but the winds are not that strong," Isabela rescue official Constante Foronda said, putting the number of evacuees at 372: "We got lucky."

In Cagayan, rescue official Ruelie Rapsing said 388 people were evacuated overnight amid flooding on coastal municipalities on Luzon's northeast tip.

There were also widespread power cuts across the province of 1.2 million people.