Pacific

Normalcy being restored to CNMI after Yutu

17:05 pm on 19 February 2019

Schools and markets are reopening in the Northern Marianas restoring some normalcy to residents on Saipan and Tinian which were struck by Typhoon Yutu in October.

Damage caused by Yutu Photo: Mark Rabago

Hopwood Middle School and Northern Marianas College are set to open this week, using temporary classrooms courtesy of the US Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hopwood students are relocating to their temporary campus today after Yutu virtually wiped out the school's buildings.

The temporary campus consists of 42 classrooms for about 1,000 students.

The NMC is set to welcome back some 1,250 students tomorrow at its As Terlaje campus.

The popular weekly Thursday Street Market on Saipan is also set to make a comeback in three weeks.

The street market, which is a popular tourist destination, had not been held since the storm destroyed several necessary electrical components.

Power and water has been fully restored on Saipan and materials and equipment are being brought in to bring Tinian up to the same level.