LAOAG CITY - Around 364 families, or 1,112 individuals, have been pre-emptively evacuated since Wednesday across Ilocos Norte amidst the impact of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami). According to 11:30 a.m. report of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) on Thursday, the affected families are from high risk areas in the municipalities of Bacarra, Pasuquin, Pagudpud, Banna, Solsona, Pinili, San Nicolas, Victar, Batac, Burgos, and Sarat, and in Laoag City. For this city alone, 90 families composed of 298 individuals, are still in evacuation sites, Laoag City DRRRM officer Dr. Melvin Manuel said. 'We are very fortunate that there is less rain than we have expected,' he said. On Wednesday evening, an old acacia tree fell on a Toyota Altis parked between a village hall and an irrigation canal in Barangay 7-B in this city due to strong winds from the typhoon. No one was hurt in the incident but the tree also damaged a transformer, causing emerg ency power interruption in nearby residential areas and government offices. Joey Agliam, village chief of Barangay 7-B Nuestra Señora De Natividad, said in a media interview on Thursday that the old acacia tree fell due to strong winds. 'Unfortunately, the vehicle of our village secretary was hit by a fallen acacia tree at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. No one thought the large tree would fall from strong winds,' he said. As of this posting, personnel from the city government of Laoag are still conducting clearing operations in the area, while Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) linemen have yet to start power restoration. Ilocos Norte, among others provinces in northern Luzon, has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 by the state weather bureau. Source: Philippines News agency