7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Haiti

A large earthquake struck near Haiti late the afternoon of January 12, 2010. There were reports of significant damage to Port-Au-Prince which is located just ten miles from the epicenter. Reports indicated that a significant number of homes and structures had been completely destroyed.

Eyewitness reports indicated a significant number of people were injured. Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, is also the largest center of population in Haiti. Located on the coastline facing the North Atlantic Ocean Port-au-Prince is ten miles from the earthquake's epicenter.

The earthquake occurred in shallow water and scientists were concerned that a Tsunami would follow the earthquake and the United States National Weather Service issued a tsunami watch for Haiti.

Tsunami's often prove to be more fatal than the earthquake that causes them. In 2004, an underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia caused a gigantic tsunami that caused the death of over 200,000 people. The earthquake that caused the tsunami in Indonesia had a magnitude of approximately 9.1 on the Richter scale. Today's earthquake, off the coast of Haiti, had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale. Although the Haiti earthquake's magnitude is less, its epicenter was significantly more shallow (less than ten miles below the surface) which may lead to increased damage not only from the earthquake itself but also the resulting tsunami.

Haiti is a small island country located between the Caribbean Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. Both Haiti and its neighboring country (the Dominican Republic) are impoverished countries with little ability to respond to large natural disasters. Frequently, high fuel and food prices have exacerbated the difficulties in responding quickly to natural disasters.

In 2008, several tropical storms caused significant casualties in Haiti. Haiti's extreme poverty (it is considered one of the poorest countries in the world) significantly hampered its ability respond to or even record injuries and casualties.

Earthquakes are not frequent in Haiti and structures, due to poverty and lack of planning are not typically earthquake-resistant. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake the afternoon of January 12, 2010, combined with the possibility of a tsunami and the region's poverty spread fears of another disaster similar to the Indonesian tsunami of 2004.