10 Dec 2002

Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas faces home and crop damage after typhoon

8:10 am on 10 December 2002

Pongsona, tore apart crops and coral reefs in parts of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a day after sweeping destructively through nearby Guam.

Authorities say homes on Rota and Tinian in the CNMI have been destroyed and people had taken refuge in emergency shelters but so far there had been no reports of injuries.

Rota Congressman Ray Castro said much of the coral around the island had been swept away and food crops had been damaged