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AP via Yahoo! News By PESI FONUA, Associated Press Writer Pesi Fonua, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 1 min ago
NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga – Tropical Cyclone Rene pounded Tonga with powerful winds overnight, causing major damage to buildings in the capital city, tearing off roofs, downing trees and cutting power and phone lines in the South Pacific island nation.
When phone service was restored early Tuesday, police said they had no immediate reports of death or injury during the storm that has hammered the three main island groups of the kingdom for more than 24 hours.
"There's widespread damage to crops ... (and) to buildings," police commander Chris Kelley told New Zealand's National Radio. "Power has been off all night, there's trees across roads, plus power lines. There has really been quite a bit of devastation."
The nation's National Disaster Committee was meeting Tuesday to begin assessing damage nationwide, described by its deputy director Mali'u Takai as possibly the worst in 50 years.
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