Typhoon Koppu Pummels Philippines Sunday Oct 18,2015

 

Flood waters unleashed by a deadly, slow-moving typhoon have invaded more and more towns in the northern Philippines, forcing people to clamber onto rooftops to await rescue.

Roads and communications have been cut off by flooding and landslides in three towns in Aurora province, including Casiguran, where the typhoon made landfall

Typhoon Koppu began its multiday battering of the region over the weekend, killing at least two people, injuring five others and driving 20,000 residents from their homes.

The fierce storm has been lumbering around the country's main island of Luzon at an excruciatingly slow pace, setting off floods and landslides across the rugged terrain.

The entire town of San Antonio in central Luzon has been engulfed by flood waters, Mayor Antonino Lustre said early Monday, according to CNN affiliate ABS-CBN. Rescuers were unable to reach some areas of the inundated town where residents were stranded on roofs, the broadcaster reported.

Flood waters have wreaked havoc in many other towns elsewhere in Nueva Ecija province, Gov. Aurelio Umali said

The storm came ashore in the early hours of Sunday morning Oct 18,2015 at super typhoon strength, ripping the roofs off buildings and uprooting trees in the coastal province of Aurora.

The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 240 kph (150 mph) when it slammed into the eastern coast of Luzon

The heavily populated region around Manila, the Philippine capital, isn't in Koppu's direct path, but it's still getting lashed with wind and rain