Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers,

The government ordered businesses and schools in the path of the storm to close in anticipation of heavy rain and floods

Trami was a tropical storm over the Philippines Thursday morning Philippine Time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 52 miles per hour.