7.0 in Haiti!!!

[caribepr]

vbhoutex, forgive me for being pointed in what I replied. I'm not arguing - and I'm not an expert on disaster aid. But I can say I have experience of what happens on islands in the Caribbean during disasters and that Haiti is THE most vulnerable island to the exact chaos and disorganization we are seeing and hearing about. No one is surprised and every one is aching for them. Culebra, with its small population of less than 2000, is pulling off a huge donation effort on a number of fronts, one, because the people here have huge hearts but two because we know it could be us, easily.
So I just wish people would do a little research before they jump to conclusions about what is going on with this situation in Haiti. Hell is what is going on, it was going on before the earthquake, it's worse now and it will be going on after the earthquake. And btw, NOTHING given is insignificant...we have no idea how our little bit will be used to help even one person. And I'll try to be more...rational in the future.

[Stephanie]

caribepr and others -

I know my outburst about the 82nd Airbourne didn't help matters, but that was out of frustration as well. You read about people needing food and water and medical supplies which some are obviously getting now and you ache at the prospect that some that are still alive don't have the access to it yet. I guess that if I thought about it more, I know that more long term stations will need to be set up because these people will need the the support for months to come. The whole situation is terrible and there are so many angles to this horrific story that none of us can ever even begin to appreciate.

Getting together the supplies and help needed for the Haitians would've never been an issue - we've seen this hundreds of times before because we all know it could've been us. It's getting the supplies and help there that is so frustrating which is what the people in charge are trying to deal with and I'm sure that they all know all too well that time is of the essense and are stressed beyond belief in trying to get things going.

[Gustywind]

vbhoutex, forgive me for being pointed in what I replied. I'm not arguing - and I'm not an expert on disaster aid. But I can say I have experience of what happens on islands in the Caribbean during disasters and that Haiti is THE most vulnerable island to the exact chaos and disorganization we are seeing and hearing about. No one is surprised and every one is aching for them. Culebra, with its small population of less than 2000, is pulling off a huge donation effort on a number of fronts, one, because the people here have huge hearts but two because we know it could be us, easily.
So I just wish people would do a little research before they jump to conclusions about what is going on with this situation in Haiti. Hell is what is going on, it was going on before the earthquake, it's worse now and it will be going on after the earthquake. And btw, NOTHING given is insignificant...we have no idea how our little bit will be used to help even one person. And I'll try to be more...rational in the future.

Excellent post, good analysis caribpr, we appreciate... us in the Leewards:)

[WeatherLovingDoc]

Magnitude 4.7 - HAITI REGION
2010 January 17 17:51:08 UTC

Versión en Español

* Details
* Summary
* Maps
* Scientific & Technical


Earthquake Details
Magnitude 4.7
Date-Time

* Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 17:51:08 UTC
* Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 12:51:08 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 18.571°N, 72.532°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region HAITI REGION
Distances 20 km (15 miles) W of PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti
135 km (85 miles) ENE of Les Cayes, Haiti
135 km (85 miles) S of Cap-Haitien, Haiti
1125 km (700 miles) SE of Miami, Florida

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rpa6.php

[cycloneye]

4 more people rescued alive from supermarket rubble

More good news of pulling people alive.Maybe,there may be a few more alive in that supermarket if they can reach food and water in there.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34829978/ns ... arthquake/

A girl, a boy and a woman were rescued at what had been the five-story supermarket, NBC's Kerry Sanders reported from Port-au-Prince after having watched rescue work there.

One official coordinating the rescue efforts there told Sanders that a text message believed sent from under the rubble indicated that "more than 60" people were alive there.

[caribepr]

Great news, Luis, thanks!

[msbee]

That really is good news. Thanks Luis

Regarding the members arguing, I don't believe any maliciousness was meant on the part of anyone.
Those of us in the islands have many Haitian friends, neighbors, and even employees. This has hit very close to home for us.
None of us really understand what is going on in Haiti. We aren't there, but those of us in the islands do have a unique understanding about disaster on Caribbean islands that often a non Caribbean resident does not have.
It's not that we know more about Haiti but it's that we do know a little more about Caribbean island life.

I hope no one stops posting. We are all in this together. We are all frustrated and worried about Haiti.

[Ptarmigan]

A telethon for the Haitian earthquake will air this Friday (January 22) and multiple networks.

http://www.billboard.com/news/hope-for- ... 9746.story

The last time there has been a telethon like this was for Hurricane Katrina. Other disasters were 9/11 and Indian Ocean Tsunami.

[Sanibel]

Death toll quickly climbing to Tsunami levels. 3rd major natural disaster in the last decade (I forgot about Nargis too):




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7003057/Haiti-earthquake-death-toll-may-hit-200000.html

[Dionne]

The reason we're all upset is that this is a no win situation. It's going to take a long time to recover. Unlike a hurricane....we have little warning of an impending temblor. Not that it matters. We don't have contra-flow lanes for earthquakes.

[Ptarmigan]

Death toll quickly climbing to Tsunami levels. 3rd major natural disaster in the last decade (I forgot about Nargis too):




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7003057/Haiti-earthquake-death-toll-may-hit-200000.html

I have heard that 70,00 have been buried. This is going to be worse than 2008 Sichuan Earthquake for certain. Yes, there were major natural disasters going back to 2000: 9/11 (Terrorist Attack, but very horrific in nature), 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Cyclone Nargis, and now Haitian Earthquake.

[RL3AO]

Hugo Chavez saying the US is using the quake as an excuse to occupy Haiti.

My response. Why would we want to occupy Haiti?

[Macrocane]

I have heard that 70,00 have been buried. This is going to be worse than 2008 Sichuan Earthquake for certain. Yes, there were major natural disasters going back to 2000: 9/11 (Terrorist Attack, but very horrific in nature), 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Cyclone Nargis, and now Haitian Earthquake.

Well, hurricane Katrina death toll is very low compared to the other natural disasters that you mention, I'm not saying it wasn't a terrible tragedy but the death toll is not at the same levels, I would add the 2005 Pakistan earthquake to that list.

[Derek Ortt]

Hugo Chavez saying the US is using the quake as an excuse to occupy Haiti.

My response. Why would we want to occupy Haiti?

Maybe because there is no Hatian government after the quake and that may be the best course of action to coordinate relief efforts

I won't comment on Chavez as it will violate the ban on outright political posts

[HURAKAN]

Who cares anymore what Chávez says. That's all I'm going to say.

[HURAKAN]

EU says Haiti envoy died in earthquake

The Associated Press
Sunday, January 17, 2010; 12:26 PM

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission says its envoy to Haiti died in the country's devastating earthquake.

EU Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton said Sunday she received confirmation of the death of Pilar Juarez on Saturday night.

Juarez was 53. Ashton calls her death "a tragic loss for Ms. Juarez' family and friends, but also for all her colleagues."

She says in a statement she contacted Juarez' family to express her condolences and those of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

She said two Haitians working for the EU delegation in Port-Au-Prince remain missing.

Ashton also expressed her condolences to the United Nations which lost many workers, including the head of its Haitian UN mission, Hedi Annabi.

[Ptarmigan]

Well, hurricane Katrina death toll is very low compared to the other natural disasters that you mention, I'm not saying it wasn't a terrible tragedy but the death toll is not at the same levels, I would add the 2005 Pakistan earthquake to that list.

I forgot the 2005 Pakistan Earthquake and 2003 Iran Earthquake as well. Katrina had a big impact in our area when we took New Orleans evacuees in.

[Stephanie]

That really is good news. Thanks Luis

Regarding the members arguing, I don't believe any maliciousness was meant on the part of anyone.
Those of us in the islands have many Haitian friends, neighbors, and even employees. This has hit very close to home for us.
None of us really understand what is going on in Haiti. We aren't there, but those of us in the islands do have a unique understanding about disaster on Caribbean islands that often a non Caribbean resident does not have.
It's not that we know more about Haiti but it's that we do know a little more about Caribbean island life.

I hope no one stops posting. We are all in this together. We are all frustrated and worried about Haiti.

The United States is home to many Haitians now. I know at my casino and the casinos up and down the Atlantic City boardwalk have many that work in them. There is one woman in our IT department that couldn't get a hold of relatives in Haiti as of Friday.

[HurricaneBill]

Since 2000, there have been 6 earthquakes that have killed 10,000+ people.

1/26/2001 Gujarat, India M7.6 20,085 dead

12/26/2003 Bam, Iran M6.6 31,000 dead

12/26/2004 Sumatra, Indonesia M9.1 227,898 dead

10/8/2005 Pakistan M7.6 86,000 dead

5/12/2008 Sichuan, China M7.9 87,587 dead

1/12/2010 Haiti M7.0 70,000+ dead

[Sanibel]

BBC:

First reports from the epicentre of Tuesday's earthquake suggested the damage was even more dramatic than in the capital.

BBC correspondents said the scene in Leogane was "apocalyptic", with thousands left homeless and almost every building destroyed.

The UN said up to 80-90% of buildings in Leogane, about 19km (12 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, had been destroyed.

In the capital, survivors were becoming desperate as they waited for aid being handed out by international agencies.

But in a sign of hope, rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble.

"It's a little miracle," the woman's husband, Reinhard Riedl, told the Associated Press news agency after she was rescued from a luxury hotel.

The Pan American Health Organization put the death toll at 50,000-100,000, while Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said 100,000 "would seem a minimum".