Breaking News: Haiti hit by a 7.0 quake

[FSTargetDrone]

I read that Brazil had some soldiers in the country before the quake, but they are on foot because of road debris. No doubt security will be a big need, as well as aid.

[Ziggy Stardust]

The New York Times has some good pictures, including a better shot of the collapsed Presidential Palace, and an aerial shot of some of the shanty towns.

[FSTargetDrone]

Edit: Ugh, nevermind, the Presidential Palace has already been rebuild twice due to getting blown up by revolts/gunpowder being stored in the basement, so it was built in 1918 and should include at least some rebar since the designer was a graduate of the Ecole d'Architecture in Paris. Yeah, the shantytowns are truly screwed.

People in shacks might actually be better off in a grimly ironic way, as there's less to collapse on top of them.

[Solauren]

Edit: Ugh, nevermind, the Presidential Palace has already been rebuild twice due to getting blown up by revolts/gunpowder being stored in the basement, so it was built in 1918 and should include at least some rebar since the designer was a graduate of the Ecole d'Architecture in Paris. Yeah, the shantytowns are truly screwed.

People in shacks might actually be better off in a grimly ironic way, as there's less to collapse on top of them.

Only in the short term.

In the mid term, they're are going to be people wanting to kick them out of those shacks so they have a place to stay.

Unless alot of help gets down to Haiti, and quickly, the current aftermath of the diaster could end up looking like the post-celebration clean up of a University (American) Football game.

I hope it doesn't come to that.

[FSTargetDrone]

There are also reports and video of fires.

[FSTargetDrone]

A bit more about the quake itself:

Seismologist Roger Musson: Haiti Quake Was 'The Big One'

By EBEN HARRELL / LONDON Eben Harrell / London Wed Jan 13, 11:45 am ET

The British Geological Survey in Edinburgh has been one of the leading geoscience research centers in the world since its founding in 1835. To understand more about the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti on Tuesday, TIME spoke with one of the survey's seismologists, Roger Musson, about the science behind the seismic event.

What sort of earthquake was this?
An earthquake is the sudden release of energy along a fault line in the earth's crust as rocks break in response to stress. There are three types and they depend on the sort of movement along the fault. This was what we call a strike-slip or transform earthquake, where one side of the fault slides horizontally past the other one.

Which fault produced this earthquake?
It is rather baroquely called the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault. It is a major plate boundary fault and is analogous to the San Andreas fault in California. It starts around the southern border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and it runs west until it reaches Jamaica.

Was it the most destructive type of earthquake?
A thrust earthquake, in which one side of the fault goes up, is the type that produces truly enormous events such as the Sumatra earthquake of 2004. But strike-slip faults often run through populated areas so they can be the most damaging to humans.

People talk about waiting for "the big one" in California; was this the big one for this fault?
This was the big one. The fault has been more or less locked for 200 years. Seismologists were unsure as to whether it would produce one big one or several smaller ones. We seem to have the answer.

Does that mean the fault will be quiet now that the pressure has been released?
The pressure has probably shifted to the west so it's likely that there will be another earthquake or perhaps a succession of earthquakes moving westward to Jamaica. That is not in the immediate future but in the next decades or 100 years. My guess would be we will have another earthquake in Haiti or Jamaica within 20 or 40 years.

What about aftershocks?
Aftershocks, which are a sort of settling down of the earth's crust in the vicinity of the main shock, have been continuing [in Haiti] and the biggest was 5.9 [magnitude] and happened eight minutes after the main shock. But they seem to be slowing down.

Will we learn anything scientifically from this earthquake?
Every earthquake teaches us something but this is not really a remarkable earthquake - a similar one occurred in 1770 and 1751 on the fault.

Was this a fault that seismologists were concerned about, not for geological reasons, but because of the vulnerability of the population there?
Seismologists are human. We are aware of such things. When I saw the data for this earthquake last night I can tell you my heart sank.

Also, some details about the US military response:

Massive U.S. military response for Haiti

Ships, planes and deployment of 2,000 Marines slated for rescue effort

The Associated Press

updated 2:04 p.m. ET, Wed., Jan. 13, 2010

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials are laying out a massive military response to the Haiti earthquake, saying that ships, helicopters, transport planes and a 2,000-member Marine unit are either on the way or likely to begin moving soon.

Gen. Douglas Fraser, head of U.S. Southern Command, said Wednesday that one of the U.S. Navy's large amphibious ships will likely head to Haiti with a Marine expeditionary unit aboard. Fraser said other U.S. military forces are on alert, including a brigade, which includes about 3,500 troops.

Fraser said during a news conference with other U.S. officials that the Pentagon is "seriously looking at" sending thousands of Marines to assist with disaster relief efforts and security in Haiti.

President Barack Obama pledged earlier Wednesday "a swift, coordinated and aggressive" effort to help the people of Haiti overcome a "cruel and incomprehensible" tragedy."

The president said the relief effort is gearing up even as the U.S. government is working to account for Americans who were on the island nation when the disaster struck late Tuesday afternoon.

Dispatching troops

The initial contingent of 2,000 Marines could be deployed to the quake-ravaged country within the next few days to either help with emergency aid distribution or enforce law in order in conjunction with U.N. peacekeepers already there, Fraser said.

The general said that a U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, is also heading from Norfolk, Va., to the area and should arrive Thursday afternoon.

The dispatched troops would aim to keep the peace in the event of post-disaster unrest as part of a larger international effort overseen by the United Nations, whose peacekeeping operation headquarters was destroyed in the quake. About 100 U.N. personnel are believed to be trapped in the ruins of he building.

"It's going to be our assessments that are going to determine, in conjunction with (the U.N. mission) and the other international partners who are there, how best to deal with any security situations that come up," Fraser said.

"We don't know precisely what the situation is on the ground," he added. "So we're leaning forward to provide as much as capability as quickly as we can to respond to whatever the need is when we get there."

More immediately, Fraser's Miami-based Southern Command is also dispatching a team of 30 people to Haiti to support relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake and make way for additional military aid.

Officials said two C-130 aircraft were departing Wednesday for Haiti with the team of military engineers, operational planners, communications specialists and a command and control group. The Air Force is sending people to provide air traffic control and operations at the Port-au-Prince airport.

Evacuations, deployments

Coast Guard helicopters early Wednesday evacuated four injured U.S. Embassy personnel to a hospital at the Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Southcom did not release their names.

Fraser said the military is also sending units to get Port-au-Prince's airport secured and operating again. The airport is considered "operational," he said, but the facility's tower and other operations were damaged.

Fraser appeared with U.S. Agency for International Development administrator Rajiv Shah, the official named by Obama to coordinate American efforts in Haiti.

The president called upon all nations to join in helping stricken Haitians.

Obama spoke Wednesday in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room. Later, spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters the president had no plans to go to Haiti.

The president, who has been involved in ensuring a quick response since Tuesday night, said in a statement from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room that one of the government's top priorities is to quickly locate U.S. embassy employees and their families, as well as all other American citizens living and working in Haiti. He urged Americans trying to locate family members to contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747.

Obama sought to show a swift and united disaster response with the United States as an assertive leader, but he said the effort must be an international one. "We are reminded of the common humanity that we all share," he said, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side.

The president outlined a series of steps to help the Haitian people and said the U.S. commitment to its hemispheric neighbor will be unwavering.

"We have to be there for them in their hour of need," the president said.

Obama adjusted his Wednesday schedule, canceling a jobs event in Maryland to better monitor the situation in Haiti.

[Broomstick]

Interesting bit of trivia: Chicago, Illinois was founded by a Haitian. Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable was the first non-Native permanent resident of the area, and his trading post grew up into the current city of Chicago. There has, ever since, been a strong Haitian community in Chicago. Currently, they're trying to organize aid and help people contact relatives.

That's the funny thing - Haitians who leave invariably seem to be very hard-working people, often successful in business. It makes the tragedy of Haiti itself that much more poignant.

[Azazal]

Pat Robertson is a piece of shit

Yeah I know, and water is wet. but jesus christ, how can he say this?

Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "
Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.
"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other." Robertson has previously linked natural disasters and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion in the United States. Soon after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 and wreaking unprecedented devastation on New Orleans, Louisiana, Robertson weighed in with his own theory.
"We have killed over 40 million unborn babies in America," Robertson said on his September 12, 2005, broadcast of "700 Club."
"I was reading, yesterday, a book that was very interesting about what God has to say in the Old Testament about those who shed innocent blood. And he [the author] used the term that those who do this, 'the land will vomit you out.' ... But have we found we are unable somehow to defend ourselves against some of the attacks that are coming against us, either by terrorists or now by natural disaster? Could they be connected in some way?"

[FSTargetDrone]

He always knows just the right thing to say.




Oh, and CBN quickly issued a clarification about their scammer-in-chief's statement:

Statement Regarding Pat Robertson's Comments on Haiti

CBN.com – VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., January 13, 2010 --On today’s The 700 Club, during a segment about the devastation, suffering and humanitarian effort that is needed in Haiti, Dr. Robertson also spoke about Haiti’s history. His comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed. Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment, Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them. His humanitarian arm has been working to help thousands of people in Haiti over the last year, and they are currently launching a major relief and recovery effort to help the victims of this disaster. They have sent a shipment of millions of dollars worth of medications that is now in Haiti, and their disaster team leaders are expected to arrive tomorrow and begin operations to ease the suffering.

Chris Roslan
Spokesman for CBN

[Broomstick]

Uh... yeah. Mr. Robertson is basically saying "How dare those uppity slaves revolt against their French masters!" Also, more blame the victim bullshit.

[Broomstick]

CBS obtained video of the earthquake as it happened and it's been posted on YouTube - I'm guessing it was from some sort of security camera judging by the quality and such. At about 20 seconds you can see the buildings in the upper left of the image start to collapse.




The US Coastguard has released a fly-over video of the extensive damage:



I'll skip posting the images of the dead lying beside and in the road. If you want to see that they should be easy enough to find on your own. Apparently people are so busy trying to rescue the living they don't have time or energy to do more than cover the dead with a sheet, if that much.

It seems most people in Port-au-Prince are opting to sleep out of doors, on the streets. NONE of the buildings that are still standing can truly be considered safe at this point.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Pat Robertson is pretty good at getting people pissed off, that's for sure. He certainly doesn't care about Haitians, because they're not just black but also because they're Catholics, who are satanic anyway in the book of fundie nutjobs like him. Made me grit my teeth a little on the interstate today as my roommate was telling me about it, but that's mostly it. In the end, we know that Pat Robertson, will always behave like a rabid dog because he is one, and the fate of such a noble people who've suffered so much just doesn't matter to him. Nothing does but his own notoriety.

[TrailerParkJawa]

CBS obtained video of the earthquake as it happened and it's been posted on YouTube - I'm guessing it was from some sort of security camera judging by the quality and such. At about 20 seconds you can see the buildings in the upper left of the image start to collapse.

Wow, thats some hard shaking. It reminds me of the Loma Prieta quake in 1989. You could see waves under the street.

I'll skip posting the images of the dead lying beside and in the road. If you want to see that they should be easy enough to find on your own. Apparently people are so busy trying to rescue the living they don't have time or energy to do more than cover the dead with a sheet, if that much.

It seems most people in Port-au-Prince are opting to sleep out of doors, on the streets. NONE of the buildings that are still standing can truly be considered safe at this point.

Its pretty common after a big quake for people to want to sleep outside. Its very scary to feel the aftershock even in a stable building let alone a cinder block shanty. As for the dead, there isnt anything that can be done for now. Your right they are probably so busy looking for food, water, security, and coming out of shock.

The one thing I find curious is the lack of fires in the Coast Guard video. I'm gonna guess there isnt much to burn in a this type of urban landscape. No natural gas lines, houses are made of concrete, etc.

[Broomstick]

Oh, about the Pat Robertson thing... there actually is, believe it or not, a nugget of truth in that pustule of intolerance.

The revolting slaves of Haiti appealed to the loa, the gods of Voudoun, to assist them in their uprising. Voundoun or Voodoo is a mix of African gods and practices, native Taino gods and practices, and a heavy Catholic influence. The Catholics of the early 1800's certainly saw voodoo as something satanic, and I have no doubt Pat Robertson feels the same. The particular ceremony is dated to 1791 and is referred to as the Bois Caiman, after the name of the location, the main loa appealed to being Erzulie Danto. The structure of Haitian belief is complex, but in this context you could probably describe this aspect of Erzulie as the Goddess of Really Pissed off Motherhood Who is Out for Blood. I've known a few Voudoun clergy and they usually refer to Erzulie as the loa of love, luck, and revenge. When she's good she's very very good and when she's bad she is horrid. When you want to get even rather than mad and are hoping to serve up revenge both hot and cold you go to Erzulie

Actually "Erzulie" is a group of loa, it's sort of surname... and I'm rambling here. This is a piece about Erzulie Danto by a houngan if folks are interested, who describes her as "Single Mother With a Knife".

As Pat Robertson would surely regard any Haitian loa as either a demon, devil, or Satan himself remarkably enough he actually has his "facts" straight in this case. The Haitians, of course, have an opposing view.

[Lonestar]

The relief operation is rapidly turning into one of the largest military operations in the Western Hemisphere in...awhile.

A last count: 1 CVN, 4 USCG Cutters, 1 Hospital Ship, A DDG(Higgins) on the way back from deployment, and USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) are coming with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU 22). USS Normandy (CG 60), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS John L. Hall (FFG 32).

[Broomstick]

That's just the US group, right?

I just saw a live image of the Port-au-Prince airport. It looks like a display of Flags of the World. Heard/saw planes from France, China, Iceland, one in what looked like Jamaican livery... It was mentioned that some of these nations represented have themselves received international aid after devastating earthquakes or other natural calamities. Frankly, if we're developing an ethic of global mutual aid after large disasters I view that as a greater good for humanity.

The US has set up a traffic control system at the airport, which is definitely an asset. The last thing Haiti needs right now is a Tragic Accident at the airport where the aid is coming through.

The next big problem is getting the aid to the people. The roads are full of rubble and people, there is no power, no communications systems... Pallets of food, water, and medical supplies at the airport will do no good if they can't get to the people who need them. Truly, this is a daunting problem.

Still, if the Haitians are resourceful enough to self-organize, start digging people out of the rubble by hand minutes after a quake, and transport wounded through rubble-filled streets on just the hope of medical care they will no doubt be willing to carry supplies on their own backs if that's what is needed. The problem, of course, is that this resourcefulness can just as easily result in looting and violence when people get hungry and thirsty enough. I can't fault people for trying to survive, really I can't, and water in particular is a life-critical need, particularly for the injured. The city's water systems weren't great to begin with, but now they're equally shattered as the buildings. In some places there isn't even dirty water to drink, some people probably haven't had anything to drink since the quake hit. The general rule is that you can survive a mere three days without water. What needs to be done, above and beyond medical care for the injured, is to get water out to everyone who needs it. Going without food is miserable, but if we can get people water today they will be more inclined to water until tomorrow or the day after for food. Above all, you don't want a panic to get started.

The other sad thing is that we will NOT be able to survive everyone who is now alive. More people are going to die, either because no one can get them out of the rubble in time, or because the medical facilities don't exist to save them, or because of the violence that inevitably occurs after such a breakdown in civilization.

Still, I hope this search-rescue-aid-rebuilding will go smoothly. I expect there will be fuck-ups, accidents, problems, diversion of goods, and the usual bullshit (we are, after all, dealing with a disaster), but if 75% of things go without significant hitch I'll regard is as a success.

I do believe the death toll will be in the six digits from this. It certainly has the potential to equal the death toll of the Boxing Day Tsunami... except that, instead of being spread out around the entire Indiana ocean and a dozen countries that death toll will be in ONE country and mostly centered around ONE metropolitan area.

[PeZook]

Some talking heads have raised a point that this disaster might, conceivably, mean an end to Haiti as an organized state, since Port-au-Prince was pretty much the only city in the nation.

It's probably a bit alarmist, but worth thinking about.

[Lonestar]

That's just the US group, right?

That's just the Naval aspect of it. I'm not including USAF and Army stuff. And this is all the initial response, there might be more coming.

I just saw a live image of the Port-au-Prince airport. It looks like a display of Flags of the World. Heard/saw planes from France, China, Iceland, one in what looked like Jamaican livery... It was mentioned that some of these nations represented have themselves received international aid after devastating earthquakes or other natural calamities. Frankly, if we're developing an ethic of global mutual aid after large disasters I view that as a greater good for humanity.

My understanding is that the Dominicans have sent in quite a few troops just for crowd control.

It's been mentioned elsewhere that the star of "Emigration season" for Haiti is in Feb, so in addition to all those, we can expect the US to be spending a lot of money trying to stem the expected dramatic increase of Haitans who try to get the fuck out.

[Broomstick]

My understanding is that the Dominicans have sent in quite a few troops just for crowd control.

My understanding is that when the first US aircraft showed up the Dominicans were already at the airport, making sure the runways were clear so help could come in. Apparently the port facilities for boats have been destroyed, so the airport is pretty much the only want in and out of Port-au-Prince.

It's been mentioned elsewhere that the star of "Emigration season" for Haiti is in Feb, so in addition to all those, we can expect the US to be spending a lot of money trying to stem the expected dramatic increase of Haitans who try to get the fuck out.

The US has halted all Haitian deportations, and there is talk of granting temporary visas to allow the illegals to remain in the US for the duration of the emergency as sending them back home is in no one's interest and would certainly endanger people.

The US might well allow more immigration. It's not like there aren't a lot of Haitians already in the US. Also, Haitians working in the US typically send money back home, which benefits the Haitians remaining on the island. One of the reason there are 45,000 US citizens in Haiti right now is that a fair number of native Haitians obtain US citizenship at some point and shuttle back and forth.

[Lonestar]

My understanding is that when the first US aircraft showed up the Dominicans were already at the airport, making sure the runways were clear so help could come in. Apparently the port facilities for boats have been destroyed, so the airport is pretty much the only want in and out of Port-au-Prince.

That's probable too, I mean, the Dominicans were really the only people who coudl go in and prep the area like that.

The US has halted all Haitian deportations,

Maybe so, but that won't stop the DHS/USN from stepping up maritime interdiction. It doesn't become deportation until after they actually touch Amderican souil.

[Sea Skimmer]

Some talking heads have raised a point that this disaster might, conceivably, mean an end to Haiti as an organized state, since Port-au-Prince was pretty much the only city in the nation.

It's probably a bit alarmist, but worth thinking about.

The government just barely existed in the first place and about the only thing it was capable of doing was summary executions. It’d be hard for it to get worse, but the recovery from a disaster of this massive magnitude may actually have a long term unifying effect on the survivors. Maybe the assholes that pass for government will also at least just stop stealing all the money.

On the tiny tiny peice of good news side, I just learned a sister of a family friend of mine, both of whom were already in Haiti as Quaker aid workers, who was severely injured in the quake is now wheels down in Florida. She may still lose her leg, we don’t know, but it’s a huge step forward for her chances.

[Highlord Laan]

The death toll has been said to be 45-50 thousand

[Broomstick]

The US has halted all Haitian deportations,

Maybe so, but that won't stop the DHS/USN from stepping up maritime interdiction. It doesn't become deportation until after they actually touch Amderican souil.

The problem with Haitians fleeing elsewhere via the sea is that they don't have access to a lot of float-worthy boats and a LOT of people have drowned attempting it. Heck, Cuba is significantly closer to the US and Og knows how many people have died attempting the crossing on truck tires or something equally suicidal. People have died attempting the Cuba to Florida crossing in actual boats much less the crossing from Haiti to Florida. It's not impossible, and for an experienced sailor with adequate equipment it's actually pretty easy, it's just that most attempting it are absolutely not equipped to do it.

So there's the problem of people dying at sea who could otherwise be saved, vs. the problem that you really DO NOT want to encourage people to even try doing something of that sort. Being picked up at sea is NOT a free ride to the US, and the Coast Guard wants that known and advertised so they don't wind up dealing with a flotilla composed of old tires and telephone poles.

It's not to be mean - it's to discourage people from doing something that could easily be fatal. The Coast Guard will save your life IF they find you in distress, but the odds of them finding you when you get into trouble are pretty slim. As I said, they'll save your life, but that's it.

[Broomstick]

So much traffic is going into the Port-au-Prince airport that the US declared a ground-stop for new flights going in. The airport has also run out of fuel, so any airplane flying in will also need to carry enough in its tanks to fly out again.

Three aid ships have been turned away, as the port was too damaged to allow unloading of cargo.

Able-bodied survivors have been walking out of Port-au-Price to other parts of the country. Thousands are piling up against the border fence with the Dominican Republic, begging to be let in. Meanwhile, the DR is sending convoys of personnel and supplies into Haiti to render aid.

More people are being pulled from the rubble, but medical aid is very problematic.

Water, food, shelter, etc. are all in critically short supply.

[FSTargetDrone]

How fast can port facilities be constructed? Are there prefabs for this sort of thing? Assuming it's simply faster to avoid the wreckage and build anew, that is.