Every time a natural disaster hits, we are reminded once again that there is no greater power on Earth than Mother Nature.
Last month, it was the devastating flash flood in Zhengzhou; yesterday (14 August), it was the 7.2 earthquake that wrecked the island nation of Haiti.
All About the 7.2 Earthquake in Haiti
On 14 August 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
This is the largest earthquake to date for the island nation, beating out the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake that had a death toll of more than 200,000 and injured a whole lot more back in 2010.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), this earthquake occurred around 12km northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud and is 10km deep.
For those of us laymen, this means that the earthquake may be stronger than the 2010 earthquake but it’s “shallower” since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake back then was 13km deep.
Based on information from USGS, the shallower an earthquake is, the more damaging it is to the surface.
This is because as seismic waves travel from the epicentre of the quake to the surface, they tend to lose energy along the way.
So, the deeper the epicentre is, the more energy is lost and hence, the less destructive power the quake will be able to unleash on the people and buildings on the surface.
Shaking from the quake was reported as far as 160km away from Saint-Lious-du-Sud and lasted for “more than five to ten seconds”.
In fact, the quake was felt in the Dominican Republic.
The country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Even Cuba and Jamaica, which are 693km and 537km away from Haiti, respectively, have felt the quake.
As you may already know from the approximately 9.2-magnitude Indian Ocean earthquake that had terrorized multiple countries back in 2004, the Haiti earthquake also triggered a series of aftershocks.
The strongest aftershock thus far has a magnitude of 5.2.
It hit an area around 20km west-northwest of Cavaillon.
This was followed by a 5.1 aftershock that was felt around three hours after the initial earthquake.
Thankfully though, despite the tsunami warning issued by the US Tsunami Warning System earlier, pointing out the possibility of a one to three meter-high tsunami heading to Haiti’s coasts, the tsunami threat has been called off after further evaluation.
Hitting Haiti When It’s Down
The location where an earthquake hits is also crucial when it comes to casualties and destruction.
Unfortunately, this 7.2-magnitude quake strike near the town of Petit Trou de Nippes.
However, taking into account that Nippes and the surrounding area is considered rural and has high rates of poverty and hunger, the already-bad-enough situation there was definitely made worse by the quake.
The quake was felt 160km away in the west part of the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince as well.
Of course, that’s on top of the country’s unstable political climate after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on 7 July 2021 by a team of gunmen, rising gang violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity.
Not to mention, the country is still recovering from the 2010 quake which took down 60% of the healthcare system in Haiti, levelled hundreds of thousands of buildings including homes, administrative buildings and schools.
The destruction cost the island nation a whopping $8 billion (S$11 billion), which is more than 55% of the country’s own GDP.
Note that Haiti’s GDP is around $14.29 billion (S$19.36 billion) in 2020.
Haiti is also recovering from Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which was the worst storm to have hit the nation in 40 years.
Casualties and the Devastation
Le dernier bilan partiel de la journée présenté par la Direction générale de la @Pwoteksyonsivil fait état de 304 morts dont 160 dans le Sud, 42 dans les Nippes, 100 dans la Grand’Anse, 2 dans le Nord-Ouest et plus de 1 800 blesséshttps://t.co/LKzrGEpaIr
— Communication Haïti (@MCHaiti) August 15, 2021
At the time of writing, the number of casualties reported is around 304, including 160 in the South, 42 in Nippes, 100 in Grand’Anse, and 2 in the North-West.
There are more than 1,800 people injured.
However, those numbers are likely to rise even further as more search and rescue teams reach the region and start clearing the rubble.
For the survivors of the quake, many of them are made homeless as the quake has levelled a lot of buildings, some of which are residential.
In addition to the existing COVID-19 patients, hospitals around the region, specifically in Les Cayes, are also overwhelmed with the injured.
More Disasters to Come
Haiti is set to experience heavy rainfall and strong wind as a result of being in the “cone” of Tropical Storm Grace.
The tropical storm is predicted to cause massive flash floods (not unlike the one that had hit China’s Zhengzhou just last month) and mudslides.
The Governmental Response
In response to the earthquake, Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, who was just sworn into office less than a month, declared a state of emergency for a month for the Western Department, Southern Department, Nippes and Grand’Anse.
Je suis actuellement dans le département de la Grand' Anse pour constater l’étendue des dégâts afin de mieux coordonner l’action gouvernementale sur le terrain. Des ressources sont mobilisées depuis ce matin pour fournir aide et assistance aux victimes de ce séisme dévastateur. pic.twitter.com/vrs3SijVbX
— Dr Ariel Henry (@DrArielHenry) August 14, 2021
Posting on Twitter, the Prime Minister detailed his visits to affected areas to assess the damage so as to “better coordinate the government’s action on the ground”.
He has also announced that resources have been mobilized to provide aid and assistance to victims since Sunday morning.
Other Countries and Charities to Provide Support and Aid
Thankfully, Haiti won’t be dealing with the aftermath of such as devastating earthquake alone.
The international community is mobilizing and help for the Haitian people is on its way.
The United States is sending a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team to the country to aid in the search and rescue effort.
So is Colombia, which has deployed their Air Force just today carrying 18 tonnes of search and rescue equipment along with their search and rescue team.
Neighbouring countries, including Chile, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and even Venezuela, who is currently experiencing a devastating economic crisis, have expressed support and are planning to send humanitarian aid at the earliest.
International charities and non-profits are all up in arms as well.
The Red Cross is currently identifying urgent needs on the ground while Doctors Without Borders is already prepping to receive patients at the Tabarre hospital in Port-au-Prince.
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Featured Image: Twitter (@DrArielHenry)