Another super typhoon just pummeled the Pacific

The Mariana Islands were hit by a second major typhoon in less than three months. Super Typhoon Bavi struck the island of Rota with 180 mph winds last week, while Guam and Saipan saw winds over 100 mph. This came just months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in April with 150 mph winds, killed 17 people across Micronesia, Guam, and the Northern Marianas, and left many homes damaged or destroyed. Federal officials had handed out more than 1,400 tents and 1,100 temporary roofs after Sinlaku, but officials warned those tents couldn't survive anything stronger than a weak tropical storm. Many were torn apart or blown away when Bavi arrived, and some residents who had just gotten power and water back after Sinlaku are now without them again.

Scientists say climate change is intensifying these storms by heating ocean waters, and federal forecasters expect more frequent cyclones this year in the region due to El Niño, a Pacific weather pattern. Saipan and Guam could see as many as seven tropical storms and typhoons this season.

This story is about the Pacific islands, not the mainland U.S., so it doesn't call for anything from homeowners elsewhere. But it's a reminder of how quickly repeated extreme storms can overwhelm temporary repairs and stretch disaster response thin, something worth keeping in mind for anyone living in a storm-prone area who relies on quick fixes after a major weather event.