BALER: A total of 2,651 families, accounting for 7,535 individuals, have been forced to evacuate in Aurora province due to the impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Nika (international name Toraji), as reported by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) on Monday. The province remains under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as the storm continues to pose threats. According to Philippines News Agency, PDRRMO chief Elson Amado Egargue disclosed that 2,126 families, or 6,034 people, are currently sheltered in evacuation centers while the rest have sought refuge with relatives or friends. The storm's strong winds have caused a felled electric post, resulting in a road blockage in Barangay Diteki, San Luis town. Additionally, flooding has been reported in the villages of Marikit and Tabas in Casiguran, with water levels reaching depths of 0.5 to 1.5 meters and 0.5 to 2 meters, respectively. So far, the destructive weather has inflicted damage on local agriculture, with rice crop losses amounting to PHP7.4 million, and PHP80,000 in damages to corn and cassava in Maria Aurora town. Egargue emphasized that the assessment of agricultural damage is ongoing and will continue to be monitored until comprehensive data is gathered. To address the immediate needs of the displaced families, Governor Reynante Tolentino, alongside Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office head Abigael Paulino and provincial administrator Joseph Soniel, has overseen the prepositioning of 5,100 family food packs at the Aurora Trading Center evacuation hub. Meanwhile, Nika has been downgraded from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm as per the latest 8 p.m. bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, with its center located over the coastal waters of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur.