Haiti - Hurricane and Earthquake (Hazards) Flashcards
In what year was Hurricane Matthew
2016
What category did the hurricane rank on the Saffir-Simpson scale when it hit Haiti
Category 4 (out of 5)
How much of Haiti’s food supply is imported?
51%
Why does Haiti need to import much of its food?
The soils in the mountainous areas are thin and erode easily when cultivated which makes agriculture difficult in much of the country
two thirds of the land is above what level of elevation?
490 metres
Why have the mangrove forests been depleted in Haiti?
Due to exploitation for firewood and charcoal fuel.
What percent of Haiti’s total land area maintains its original forest cover?
1.5%
Why has the majority of Haiti’s forests been lost?
due to:
* Clearing for Agriculture
* Clearing for Pastoral grazing land
* Logging for timber resources
How many people were affected by Hurricane Matthew?
2.1 million
How many of the affected people were displaced by Hurricane Matthew?
140,000
How many people were killed by Hurricane Matthew?
540
What physical factors contributed to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew?
- 240 km/h winds
- large storm surge
- Low lying land was susceptible to flooding
- Saturated hills after torrential rain lead to landslides
- Preparation/mitigation set back by earthquake 6 years prior
What human factors contributed to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew?
- High population density
- High levels of poverty
- Early warning systems not properly utilised
- Haiti did not have the funds to adapt & prepare
- UN peacekeepers caused cholera outbreak
How much damage (in USD) was caused by Hurricane Matthew?
$2 million
What percent of the country’s crop/livestock was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew?
90%
How many people did the World Food Programme reach in response to Hurricane Matthew?
230,000
How many of the displaced people were provided with temporary shelter in response to Hurricane Matthew?
100,000
How much (in USD) worth of medical supplies was donated in response to Hurricane Matthew?
$13 million
What did the UK send in response to Hurricane Matthew?
Water purification tablets
In what year was the Haiti earthquake?
2010
How many people were killed by the Haiti earthquake?
316,000
How many people were injured by the Haiti earthquake?
300,000
How much (in USD) damage was caused by the Haiti earthquake?
$8.5 billion
What percent of Haiti’s GDP was lost in damages by the Haiti earthquake?
120%
How deep was the Haiti earthquake’s focus?
13 km (relatively shallow)
How many buildings were destroyed by the ground shaking in the Haiti earthquake?
180,000
Where did the Haiti earthquake rank on the Richter scale?
7 (out of 9)
What secondary physical hazards were caused by the Haiti earthquake? (2)
- Liquefaction around Port-Au-Prince
- Landslides in the mountainous southern areas of the capital
What human factors lead to the damage caused by the Haiti earthquake? (7)
- No/limited building codes
- Poor infrastructure
- Limited education on how to respond
- Multiple hazards in the years prior
- Limited political stability - corruption
- No warnings issued by the government
- Least developed nation in the western hemisphere
How many people were provided with water and purification tablets in response to the Haiti earthquake?
250,000
How many shelters were set up for displaced people after the Haiti earthquake?
1 million
How much (in USD) was donated by the UN refugee fund in response to the Haiti earthquake?
$20 million
What are the four key SEEP impacts of the Haiti earthquake?
S - 316,000 deaths
Ec - $8.5bn in damage
En - woodlands set alight by gas pipe explosions
P - political unrest (riots and looting)
What are the four key SEEP impacts of Hurricane matthew?
S - 140,000 homeless
Ec - $1.9 million in damage
En - 90% of crops/livestock destroyed
P - 3,500 cholera cases caused by UN peacekeepers
Why did the removal of mangrove forests/swamps make Haiti more vulnerable to the hurricane?
The lack of mangroves meant that there was less of a barrier to the winds and waves/storm surges. This meant the storm had more power to damage structures
Why did the removal of most of Haiti’s forests make the population more vulnerable during both the hurricane and earthquake?
The bare land was more susceptible to landslides since there were less roots binding the soil; the ability of the soil to hold water would also have decreased without the trees.
How important were exogenous factors in the recovery process of both disasters in Haiti?
exogenous factors - predominantly foreign aid - was hugely important to Haiti. The country had little capacity to recover on their own due to their economic position. They were incredibly reliant upon these factors.
