CNN)Super Typhoon Noul clipped the northeastern Philippines on Sunday, prompting thousands of people to seek shelter in evacuation centers.
The storm, referred to as Dodong in the Philippines, hit land Sunday afternoon at the northeastern tip of the island of Luzon, near the small town of Santa Ana, according to PAGASA, the Philippine government agency that monitors the weather.
Noul's outer bands had lashed Luzon's eastern coast through the afternoon as it drew nearer, packing maximum sustained winds of about 260 kph (160 mph) and gusts as strong as 315 kph (195 mph).