Seismic events: Case study- Haiti

Question 1

Describe the spatial and temporal setting of the event. When and where?

Answer 1

12 January 2010, Haiti

Question 2

Describe the magnitide of the event

Answer 2

7.0 MMS

Question 3

What is the cause of the event

Answer 3

Enriquillo Plantain Garden fault system (between the North American and Caribbean plates) - energy released along 65km, land movement of 1.8m. Epicentre 25km from the capital Port Au Prince, depth of 13km (shallow focus)Followed by over 50 aftershocks over 4.5 or greater

Question 4

Why were the Haitian people so vulnerable to the event? How might this have affected their perception of seismic events?

Answer 4

HIgh levels of poverty e.g. GNI per capita $660; high IMR and incidence of HIV/AIDs
Dependence on remittances
Low access to basic services
Located in a seismically active regions and port to tropical storms (multi-hazard area)
Not fully recovered from previous disasters e.g. 2004 tropical storm Jeanne
Lack of emergency planning (little infrastructure, lack of education, poor building codes, poor governance. Lack of employment.

Question 5

Primary impacts of the Haiti earthquake

Answer 5

70% of buildings in Port Au Prince collapsed
Approx 230, 000 deaths and 3, 000 injured
Government and public buildings damaged or destroyed (palace of justice, supreme court and prison)

Question 6

Secondary impacts of the Haiti earthquake

Answer 6

4000 inmates escape
2.3 million made homeless
Break down of law and order resulting in looting and violence (shortages of food/water cause civil unrest)

Question 7

What happened at the relief stage of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 7

Local people undertake search and rescue

Question 8

What happened at the rehabilitation stage of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 8

Neighbouring countries send aid e.g. Dorminican Republic sends food water and heavy lifting machinery
Tents sent in and temporary accommodation creates

Question 9

What happened at the reconstruction stage of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 9

World bank cancelled half of haiti’s debt and extended repayments dates
Cash-for-work programmes created
Building assessed for level of damage and community driven development programmes created by the world bank to help rebuild homes to a higher standard.

Question 10

Why was Haiti’s response to the event so poor?

Answer 10

Lack of infrastructure, disaster preparedness plans and equipment e.g. lack of heavy lifting machinery
Damage to port and airport meant it was difficult to receive relief resources
Ineffective government and lack of coordination made it difficult to distribute and receive aid, security troops prioritised (e.g. US government deploys 3500 trops)
LIC - unable to afford to provide assistance themselves