3 months after volcanic eruption, Tonga slowly rebuilds

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samantha Moala recalls she was taking a shower at her home in Tonga when she heard what sounded like a gunshot so powerful it hurt her ears. As she and her family scrambled to their car to drive inland, ash blackened the sky. The world’s biggest volcanic eruption in 30 years sent a tsunami around the globe, and the first waves washed across the road as Moala drove to safety at the airport with her terrified husband and sons. Three months after the eruption, Tonga’s rebuilding is slowly progressing and the impact of the disaster has come into clearer focus.