Damage from tidal surge in Philippines

Many were puzzled by the waves because Typhoon Mitag, which lashed the northern Philippines on Monday, had weakened into a storm and then blew out of the country toward southern Japan, causing the weather to improve by Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines (AP): Big waves set off by a storm battered provinces along the Philippines' western coast overnight, sending more than 5,000 people fleeing, some falsely thinking there was a tsunami, officials said Wednesday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the onslaught of waves that sporadically battered coastal villages from the country's mountainous north to the southern island of Jolo from late Tuesday to early Wednesday.

The waves also created flash floods by pushing sea water into low-lying areas.