Earthquake 7.0 - The Big One

Along Jan 12th a catastrophic 7.0 M. quake rocked Haiti. It occurred about 12 miles West of Port AU Prince, the nation's capital city that has a universe of one million people. Within few days, there were 52 recorded aftershocks. The entire quake lasted 45 seconds. In to a lesser degree uncomparable minute, normal turned into a tragedy invisible in this part of the world.

The quake caused damage to many landmarks, including the Castle, most major government buildings and a Roman Catholic Cathedral, killing the Archbishop. The Federate Nations and many world governments possess rushed aid to the Haitians. I may not have accurate Numbers but have show that the last toll ranges from 100,000 — 250,000. My guess is it may be even high than that. Another 300,000 have been injured and over a million are left roofless.

My trip was tierce months after the first destruction. Spell all but of my time was spent rebuilding a school, I was struck by a number of things:

– The Metropolis Hall has been removed and the dole out is now empty.
– The Palace and most John R. Major buildings stay damaged with little work seen from the street
– In several neighborhoods, everything has been destroyed. In other places, the damage is only infrequent. It is difficult to find whatever major building that is non damaged at this time.
– Getting electricity or water is sporadic  – atomic number 102 way to unfilmed.
– One is stricken by the outrageousness of the wipeout. Broken concrete is everywhere.
– There are tent cities everywhere. Not solitary do you see tents and tarps, but all temporary "house" is within inches of a "neighbor". People preserve to live in these canvass houses. In some cases, you can see sort o orderly government issued tents but for 90% of what I saw, IT was tarps and small tents.
– The major need is water. There are water Stations and everyone lines upwards to get containers filled for selection.
– Raw sewerage flows along many roadstead. Rivers and streams are dark and polluted. The beaches about Port au Prince are unusable.
– There are only a couple of hospitals in running order. Most schools and Churches have been burned-over. But, there are take a leak-shift classrooms with children eager to learn.

The Combined Nations has a huge comportment with a major compound surrounded with barb telegraph and men with guns. You see their trucks roaming the streets. I imagine the first need was for constabulary and order and looting. I am not sure as shootin what the UN is doing now. It Crataegus laevigata be real worthwhile.  It is also puzzling what relief efforts are taking blank space. Equally looney A the conditions seem to an outsider, the Haitians look to be coping with their lot.

I saw only a smattering of bulldozers. Many larger buildings that collapsed are notwithstandin untouched. In the case of buildings that are beingness "repaired," it is usually men with chisels trying to break up them. Information technology is a long arduous process.

It should as wel cost noted that many Haitians venerate sleeping in buildings. At 1 orphanage, the building was undamaged (no cracks), but wholly the children and adults still live in tents next thereto. They execute go in and out of the building simply never sleep in it. If I survived a quake of this order of magnitude and 52 aftershocks, I would think twice close to every being inside as well.  In summary, the destruction is wide and thick. One is struck past the amount on dust and debris that is everywhere. Trash is three feet high in places and Haitians are trying to rebuild but without major equipment.  They are a resilient population. I will call the multitude tomorrow. If you have had an experience in Haiti or comments about what you know or have in person seen, I welcome them on my blog. I am particularly curious in what the UN is doing at this point. It is a complex res publica made more complicated by an uncooperative worldly concern.

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Peter Geiger

Bread and butter Exploring

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/earthquake-7-0-the-big-one-11044

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