Haiti Earthquake

[Jedi Master Carr]

This has been awful
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake;_ylt=Ao2vXt5y_IWWjn.C8_IeeoCs0 NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqaGUzNTBoBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMTE0L 2NiX2hhaXRpX2VhcnRocXVha2UEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXI EY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMyBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX 3N0b3J5BHNsawNoYWl0aXF1YWtlc3U-

They say up to 500 thousand might be dead. This could be one of the worst National disasters. And this has effected the poor and rich, the head of the UN in Haiti was killed along with the Archbishop of the Catholic Church.

[Dasquian Belargic]

So terrible :( I am trying to co-ordinate a charity collection in my department's local offices, to at least offer some assistance.

[Shadow Storm]

I wouldn't be suprised if the death toll was on the higher end. Similar earthquakes, occuring on similar terrain, with similar deforestation and similar construction of houses, have killed millions of people in times past in China.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I just feel sick with all this - so much destruction and death. :(

[Rutabaga]

This is one of the worst natural disasters I can remember seeing in my lifetime. Just horrific. We've had earthquakes of nearly comparable size here in California, and while there has been significant damage and some loss of life, it's been absolutely nothing compared to Haiti. The extreme poverty of the country plus the lack of building codes just couldn't survive a 7.0 shaker. It will be generations before they can rebuild, I imagine.

Please, if you can, even if it's just a dollar or two, find a good reliable charity to donate to. These poor people need all the help they can get.

And a pox on Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh for the stupid and heartless things they've said over the last couple of days. They should be ashamed of themselves. :verymad

[Jedi Master Carr]

I couldn't believe they said those things. How would they like if if the shoe was on the other foot? They are just playing politics with people's lives. I am glad Obama is pushing so hard on helping Haiti. They need all the help they can get.

[Lykaios]

This is terrible, it reminds me of the earthquake back home in 85, words are inadequate to describe how it felt.

Here are some links for those who want to help in some way and don't know how.

http://www.kare11.com/life/community/herocentral/herocentral_article.aspx?storyid=836193&catid=389

[Carré Inirial]

I had to turn the TV off and force myself to not go to anymore news sites...the pictures are just horrific and the devastation is so all-consuming and overwhelming.

Thank you for that page, Lyk.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The Loma Prieta quake in '89 was a 7.0 as well, but really no comparison between the two. The difference between our buildings and their buildings is crazy. In '89 we lost 62 people I think? And they're estimating 45-50,000 people dead in Haiti. :cry

Interesting timing though, that morning I watched a documentary on the History channel about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

[Carré Inirial]

The earthquake in Athens in 1999 was less than that at 5.9, and 125 people died. We were 350 some-odd kilometers south in the mountains, just outside Sparta, and it shook our tiny house. Just doesn't even compare.

[Yog]

I think this is quickly shaping up not only to be one of the worst natural disasters in memory, but THE worst in modern times, including the tsunami that was some years ago. The reason for that, well first of all, the 50K number often mentioned, that's just the number of corpses buried in mass graves. There is still an unknown multiple of that buried under rubble of buildings, and the estimates are now approaching 200K dead and rising.

Secondly, and more importantly, the tsunami wrecked the coast lines, leaving most of the inlands untouched. A lot of the buildings washed away were hotels and beach property. But in Haiti, the entire country is being destroyed, leaving everyone homeless, or in a ruined home. When you combine that with the already existing poverty and the annihilated infrastructure (food, water, electricity, medical services, government), you have a disaster which is hard to comprehend for the human mind.

UN pretty much confirmed this, by calling it the worst disaster they ever encountered.

Just to show how terrible the situation is, take a look at some of these astounding photos with commentary. :(
http://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/article2804099.ece
(WARNING! VERY disturbing images)




The earthquake in Athens in 1999 was less than that at 5.9, and 125 people died. We were 350 some-odd kilometers south in the mountains, just outside Sparta, and it shook our tiny house. Just doesn't even compare.
Yeah, and a 7.0 quake is also more than 10 times as intense as 5.9, according to the Richter Scale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale).

[Shadow Storm]

As far as previous earthquakes go, this is probably more on scale with the '76 Tangshan Earthquake - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Tangshan_earthquake

[Dasquian Belargic]

Great photo of a moment of joy in Haiti- young boy rescued after 8 days in rubble: http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/pdf/eyevine-haiti-rescue.jpg

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The fact that they're still pulling people out alive is simply amazing. :) Miraculous even. I love that picture.

[Rutabaga]

That is a terrific picture, I love it! I was also amazed to hear that they found a 23 day old baby alive and well in the rubble yesterday, I think.

[Dashiel Starborn]

Some more powerful pictures from the Boston Big Picture

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/haiti_six_days_later.html