HAITI EARTHQUAKE

1-12-2010

PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE PHOTOS LOAD ON THE PAGE

OVER 50,000 BUILDINGS DESTROYED

OVER FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND FEARED DEAD

Live victims found as long as 10 days after the quake,
which proves you should never stop looking.
People can last a long time without food and water.
Longer than we ever thought possible!

Over 200,000 unidentified bodies buried in mass graves which continues.
Others were buried in open fields by their family members, many bodies were burned
in funeral pyres, some with caskets, and many bodies just wrapped in sheets or just with dirty/bloody clothing they had on when trapped under buildings.

The US Geological Survey said the powerful quake was initially measured at 7.3 on the scale and struck 16 kilometers from the capital Port-Au-Prince, and 27 kilometers from Petionville.

There have been 55 aftershocks over the strength of 5.0 since then.
 

 

                                            

  1. Recent earthquakes near Haiti

    5.9 aftershock on 1-21-2010

    6.1 aftershock on 1-20-2010

      MAG UTC DATE-TIME
    y/m/d h:m:s
    LAT
    deg
    LON
    deg
    DEPTH
    km
     Region
    MAP  5.4   2010/01/13 01:57:35    18.459    -72.924  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.0   2010/01/13 01:55:17    18.397    -72.824  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.4   2010/01/13 01:36:34    18.595    -72.892  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.3   2010/01/13 01:32:45    18.384    -72.950  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.1   2010/01/13 01:16:52    18.431    -72.856  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.2   2010/01/13 00:59:06    18.257    -72.914  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.0   2010/01/13 00:43:28    18.541    -72.486  10.0   HAITI REGION

    MAP  5.1   2010/01/12 23:12:04    18.390    -72.570  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.5   2010/01/12 22:12:05    18.485    -72.556  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  5.9   2010/01/12 22:00:42    18.321    -72.848  10.0   HAITI REGION
    MAP  7.0   2010/01/12 21:53:10    18.451    -72.445  10.0   HAITI REGION
     
     
    earthquake.usgs.gov

Magnitude 7.0 - HAITI REGION

2010 January 12 21:53:09 UTC

Earthquake Details

Magnitude 7.0
Date-Time
Location 18.451°N, 72.445°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region HAITI REGION
Distances 15 km (10 miles) SW of PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti
140 km (90 miles) E of Les Cayes, Haiti
145 km (90 miles) WNW of Barahona, Dominican Republic
1140 km (710 miles) SE of Miami, Florida
 
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 8.3 km (5.2 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=103, Nph=103, Dmin=365.7 km, Rmss=1.14 sec, Gp= 94°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source
  • USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
     
Event ID us2010rja6

 

A strong earthquake hit the impoverished country of Haiti on Tuesday, where a hospital collapsed and people were screaming for help. Other buildings also were damaged.
 
Haiti has been rocked by an massive earthquake estimated to be a magnitude 7.3 quake.
(/ABC News)

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries, but an analyst at the U.S. Geological Survey said there could be substantial damage and casualties. Powerful aftershocks were felt in the first hour.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) west from the Caribbean nation's capital of Port-au-Prince, the USGS said. It had a depth of 5 miles (8 kilometers).

An Associated Press videographer saw the wrecked hospital in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince, and a U.S. government official reported seeing houses that had tumbled into a ravine.

No further details on any causualties or other damage were immediately available.

 
Related

Don Blakeman, an analyst at the USGS in Golden, Colorado, said such a strong quake carried the potential for widespread damage.

"I think we are going to see substantial damage and casualties," he said.

Blakeman said Haiti had already been hit by many aftershocks, the two largest registering magnitude 5.9 and 5.5.

"We expect more aftershocks because this is a large, shallow earthquake," he said.

The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. Some panicked residents in the capital of Santo Domingo fled from their shaking homes.

Another USGS analyst, Dale Grant, said this was "the largest quake recorded in this area." He said the last strong quake was a magnitude-6.7 temblor in 1984.

"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture visiting Haiti. "The sky is just gray with dust."

Bahn said he was walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.

"I just held on and bounced across the wall," he said. "I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance."
 

Bahn said there were rocks strewn all over the place and he saw a ravine where several homes had been built. "It's just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire," he said.

Felix Augustin, Haiti's consul general in New York, said he was concerned about everyone in Haiti, including his relatives.

"Communication is absolutely impossible," he said. "I've been trying to call my ministry and I cannot get through. ... It's mind-boggling."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


Many casualties expected after big quake in Haiti

Map locates a strong earthquake that struck Haiti
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
       

 

AP – Map locates a strong earthquake that struck Haiti Tuesday Strong earthquake hits Haiti Slideshow:Strong earthquake hits Haiti

  • Powerful Earthquake Rocks Haiti Play Video Earthquakes Video:Powerful Earthquake Rocks Haiti CBS 2 New York
  • NorCal Quake Shakes Ground And Cyberspace Play Video Earthquakes Video:NorCal Quake Shakes Ground And Cyberspace CBS 2 / KCAL 9 Los Angeles
  • PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The largest earthquake ever recorded in the area shook Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help. Other buildings also were damaged and scientists said they expected "substantial damage and casualties."

    With communications disrupted there were no reports of deaths or injuries soon after the quake, as powerful aftershocks shook the country.

    The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It had a depth of 5 miles (8 kilometers). It was the largest quake recorded in the area, said USGS analyst Dale Grant, and the last major one since a magnitude-6.7 temblor in 1984.

    An Associated Press videographer saw the wrecked hospital in Petionville, a hillside Port-au-Prince district that is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians. Elsewhere, a U.S. government official reported seeing houses that had tumbled into a ravine.

    Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Joseph, said from his Washington office that he spoke to President Rene Preval's chief of staff, Fritz Longchamp, just after the quake hit. He said Longchamp told him that "buildings were crumbling right and left" near the national palace. He said he has not gotten through by phone to Haiti since.

    Don Blakeman, an analyst at the USGS in Golden, Colorado, said such a strong quake carried the potential for widespread damage.

    "I think we are going to see substantial damage and casualties," he said.

    The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. Some panicked residents in the capital of Santo Domingo fled from their shaking homes.

    In eastern Cuba, houses shook but no major damage was immediately reported.

    "We felt it very strongly and I would say for a long time. We had time to evacuate," said Monsignor Dionisio Garcia, archbishop of Santiago.

    In Haiti, the extent of the damage was unclear.

    "Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official visiting Haiti. "The sky is just gray with dust."

    Bahn said he was walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.

    "I just held on and bounced across the wall," he said. "I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance."

    Bahn said there were rocks strewn about and he saw a ravine where several homes had stood: "It's just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire."

    The U.S. National Weather Service issued a tsunami watch for Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, but said historically the region has seen few destructive tsunamis.

    In Washington, State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said U.S. officials were holding emergency meetings.

    "We need to gather what information we can quickly. We will of course assist in any way we can," he said.

    Felix Augustin, Haiti's consul general in New York, said he was concerned about everyone in Haiti, including his relatives.

    "Communication is absolutely impossible," he said. "I've been trying to call my ministry and I cannot get through. ... It's mind-boggling."

    ___

    Associated Press writers David Koop in Mexico City, Matthew Lee in Washington and Andrea Rodriguez in Havana contributed to this report.


    Thousands of people were feared dead after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti last night, toppling buildings and causing widespread damage and panic.

    The United Nations headquarters was one of scores of buildings that were toppled, including the presidential palace,government buildings and a cathedral. Roads and bridges also lay in ruins.

    Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a clear picture of the damage as violent aftershocks shook the country, where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was lost in some places.

    Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in the capital, Port-au-Prince, told American colleagues before the phone line went dead that “there must be thousands of people dead”. Sara Fajardo, a spokeswoman for the aid group, based in Maryland, said: “He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince.”

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