Hope the people of Haiti get the help they need as quickly as possible. Wrey, did the quake effect Puerto Rico?
We felt it, but it was not a problem here on the island. The one that was off the coast of the Virgin Islands last year registered much more strongly. Since I live within visual distance of Hispanola on a clear day, the earthquake has been very predominant in the news here. My heart goes out to them. Haiti has seen enough trouble.
Haiti is the poorest nation in this hemisphere I believe, and such a calamity just compounds their suffrage. Hopefully aide will come in, even in this recession.
It really brought back memories of our terrible earthquake 10yrs ago. One of my former students is with the UN out there (with a group of about 50 Turkish police). None of them have been hurt as far as I know and apparently they are helping with rescue work. Wish there was more we could do. It set Turkey back about 3 yrs, and bankrupted my husband's company. God knows what it will do to this poor country.
Haitian buildings suffered from poor construction practices and old technology. I've heard reports that schools, hospitals, government offices and other buildings critical to infrastructure collapsed. The Red Cross building in Port Au Prince collapsed. The US dispatched one of their largest aircraft carriers to Haiti to act as a central command for the rescue efforts. They also have technical expertise on board to help restore communications and vital services like water & power. Unfortunately, a lot of the rescue efforts are limited to manual labor because there is not a lot of heavy-lift equipment in that nation.
I just read that Canada is sending help in the form of our water purification mobile units, which are much in demand. Also money and labour and expertise help. Our governor general is from Haiti. I also read that the UN building has many bodies in the rubble. such a sad state of affairs.
I have always thought of the Caribbean as a very stable area other than occasional hurricanes. I just looked at a tectonic plate map of the area and discovered that Haiti is right at the top border of an active tectonic plate called the Caribbean Plate: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/First_Comprehensive_Caribbean_Earthquake_Model_999.html The North American plate is gradually subducting under the Caribbean plate and the eastern edge of the plate is a crush zone where volcanic activity results. Same at the western edge where volcanic activity is common in Costa Rica. Very interesting to me.
When I hear of these disasters I am so thankful I live in a very stable area. I think the last earthquake was when Lake Superior was formed. Since my husband is a gold miner it makes me even more grateful. I hope that the disaster is not worse than what I am hearing. So many dead and so much distruction.
Yup. The Puerto Rico Trench which lies off the north west coast is one of the deepest places in any ocean. After the tsunami that devastated South East Asia, tsunami warning signs went up all over the western and northern coasts of Puerto Rico because the subduction zone is a similar plate boundary to the one that caused that disaster.
The UK's doing something, but the government hasn't announced what. It sounds like a lot of people are sending in quite a lot of money, since we were ashamed at the amount we sent in last time, with the Asian tsunami (I think it was the most sent in by the population of any country, but we ignored that, as it was only about £1.50 ($2.80) per person).
I just heard about this an hour or so ago --cant believe no one had mentioned it during class today. This sounds just horrible... My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and those around the world who feel the disaster's arms across the globe. Haiti is the western hemisphere's poorest nation, and I cant imagine how much effort it will take to recover. Gallow, I'm glad that the UK plans on sending a significant amount of aid to Haiti; they will definitely need it. It warms my heart to know that even though there are always threats of global wars, when people's lives can be rocked so aggressively, people all over this planet first think, "How can we help?" Here's what the United States plans on doing to help.
I just read on YAHOO news that about 100,000 Hatians are feared dead. My heart, thoughts, and prayers goes out to those pour souls. My Geography teacher told me that the quake was at the surface, not deep in the ground. He heard about it on the news.
It's sobering news to hear about the Earthquake. When Nature lulls, we take Her peace for granted. Recessions seem much smaller when a natural disaster like this occurs. The people of Haiti are in my prayers tonight...
Prime Minister of Haiti said the death toll could top 100,000. Clinton is skeptical of that number, but the actual number is only academic. The extent of this tragedy mirrors the Indian Ocean tsunami a few years ago. Maybe some good will come out of this in the form of improved construction codes and better living conditions for the poor when the rebuilding begins.
The estimates are now about fifty thousand, but that's not with the secondary effects, for obvious reasons.
At this point, the death estimates are largely guesswork. No matter how you look at it, this is a heartbreaking tragedy. The devastation is beyond comprehension, and I find it difficult to envision a recovery. The infrastructure is demolished. Before the earthquake, it was already a land of desperation. The housing that is still standing is largely unsafe. Even a simple item like fresh water for the millions of survivors will be a logistical nightmare.
This is the worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. Gangs with machetes are roaming the streets, robbing stores, and there is chaos everywhere. In Haiti there are 2.5, LESS THAN THREE ON AVERAGE, doctors per 10,000 Haitians. (Gathered after watching CBSnews.) The good news is that the US, Venezuela, China, and many other countries are already sending help. But either way, this is going to take a very large, indeterminable about of time to reach.
The NY Times website has put up an interactive feature that allows you to compare before and after images using photos from GeoEye...sobering stuff....
This is so sad, but at least individuals are going to pitch in. I found that Ebay, when you purchase something, is giving you the option to help hati relief. I donated $1. Wish I could've donated more.
I can't believe how many people seem so 'unbothered' about this. Even in the UK, the day after the earthquake the front pages of the newspapers were back talking about Big Brother, and football. This is a true tragedy, one which requires as much action and aid as possible, and empathy from those not able to physically able to go and help. At the very least some sensitivity. I'm ashamed of the people I know who haven't given this devastation the acknowledgement that it should have had. On a more positive note, Britons donated £2million within the first 24 hours of the earthquake (BBC News, I think.) Prayers and thoughts are with all those involved in any way. x
What I am disgusted by is the way groups are ploliticizing this disaster. The anti Israel group is saying that Israel which set up the first mobile hospital is only there to steal organs from the dieing. Even the Canadian opposition parties are saying our prime minister is only helping to boost himself in the polls. People are helping because there are people in need. Some do more than others but that is just natural.
