Haiti earthquake in 2021

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Haiti earthquake
Haiti earthquake in 2021 (Haiti)
(18 ° 24 ′ 28.8 ″ N, 73 ° 28 ′ 30 ″ W)
date August 14, 2021
time 12:29:09 UTC
intensity VIII  on the MM scale
Magnitude 7.2  M W
depth 10 km
epicenter 18 ° 24 ′ 29 "  N , 73 ° 28 ′ 30"  W Coordinates: 18 ° 24 ′ 29 "  N , 73 ° 28 ′ 30"  W
country Haiti


Haiti by extending distortions

A major earthquake struck Haiti at 8:29 a.m. local time on August 14, 2021 . The quake had a magnitude of 7.2 M W . At least 1941 people died as a result of the quake. The effects of the earthquake were made worse by tropical low Grace , which caused heavy rainfall in Haiti two days after the earthquake .

tectonics

The epicenter of the quake was about 37 kilometers northeast of the city of Les Cayes and 125 kilometers west of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince . The hypocenter is located at a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake occurred at the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault, near which the earthquake on January 12, 2010 also occurred and in which over 200,000 people were killed. The 2010 earthquake occurred closer to the capital, its epicenter was around 75 kilometers further east than the epicenter of the 2021 earthquake. In Hispaniola , transverse and compressive forces dominate in the border area between the North American plate and the Caribbean plate . The convergence between the North American and Caribbean plates is around 20 millimeters per year, of which a movement of around 7 millimeters per year is noticeable at the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault. The hearth process was a postponement with parts of a - probably sinistral - horizontal shift .

The quake was also felt in Cuba , Jamaica and the Dominican Republic .

It occurred several aftershocks with magnitudes over 5 M W .

Main tremors and aftershocks from 5.0
Time ( UTC ) Magnitude Coordinates Depth in km
14 Aug 2021, 12:29:08 p.m. 7.2 18.408 ° N, 73.475 ° W 10
14 Aug 2021, 12:49:33 p.m. 5.2 18.389 ° N, 73.825 ° W 10.8
14 Aug 2021, 4:08:03 pm 5.1 18.540 ° N, 73.713 ° W 10
14 Aug 2021, 6:11:10 p.m. 5.2 18,574 ° N, 73,622 ° W 8th
Aug 15, 2021, 2:37:53 am 5.0 18,600 ° N, 73,581 ° W 10
Aug 15, 2021, 3:20:45 am 5.8 18,371 ° N, 74,099 ° W 12th

Victims and damage

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake reached a level VIII intensity on the Modified Mercalli Scale . According to initial reports, several hundred people died, many buildings collapsed or were damaged, and hospitals were overwhelmed by the onslaught of injured people. Which are particularly affected departments Sud , Grand'Anse and Nippes and the towns of Les Cayes, Jérémie and Anse-à-Veau . Contact with Petit-Trou-de-Nippes was interrupted by broken telephone lines. Roads were damaged and the main road between Les Cayes and Jérémie became impassable due to a landslide. Only minor damage occurred in the capital Port-au-Prince. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and Haiti's Disaster Management Agency (DGPC) as of August 15, at least 800 people have died, 2,800 others were injured and 6,300 families were affected. In addition, more than 37,300 homes were destroyed and 46,000 damaged, leaving thousands homeless. According to a more recent situation report by the Haitian Disaster Management Authority (DGPC), 1,941 deaths and more than 9,900 injuries were reported as of August 17 (compared with 1,419 on August 16).

According to the USGS, an area> 100 km² with a relatively high population density is affected by possible soil liquefaction .

Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a month-long state of emergency.

On August 16, Haiti was hit by tropical low Grace , which worsened the effects of the earthquake with heavy rainfall. A warning was given against large areas of rain of 125 to 250 liters / m², with local values ​​up to approx. 375 liters / m². Since Haiti is heavily deforested, it is particularly prone to mudslides and landslides as a result of heavy rainfall.

International aid

The earthquake hit a country already plagued by many crises, with the COVID-19 pandemic , corruption, food insecurity , volatile security and political stalemate following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse six weeks earlier. In addition, the arrival of the tropical storm Grace with heavy precipitation is expected between August 16 and 17 .

On the day of the earthquake, experts from the US Agency for International Development ( USAID ), CARE International and UNICEF began to carry out damage and needs analyzes. US President Joe Biden promised quick help from the US and set up crisis coordination under the direction of Samantha Power . The Organization of American States and other countries also offered assistance. The International Red Cross sent relief workers and the Pan American Health Organization sent a team of experts.

The Haitian government asked for international help from USAR teams and stated that it would not seek further assistance until the full extent of the damage is known.

In consultation with the Haitian Ministry of Health, the German aid organization ISAR Germany eV in cooperation with the medical department of the BRH Bundesverband Rettungshunde eV established a so-called "Emergency Medical Team", a group of helpers with specialized doctors verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), Nurses, paramedics and logisticians, with a special machine and eleven tons of equipment, including a water treatment plant, were sent to the disaster area affected.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mark Stevenson, Evens Sanon: Death toll from Haiti's weekend earthquake rises to 1,941. In: apnews.com. August 17, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  2. ↑ a b M 7.2 - Nippes, Haiti, Haiti. USGS , accessed August 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ a b Tom Phillips, Jean Daniel Delone: At least 304 dead as Haiti struck by 7.2-magnitude earthquake. In: theguardian.com . August 14, 2021, accessed August 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ M 7.2 - Nippes, Haiti: Pager. USGS , accessed August 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ a b Many victims feared after a severe earthquake in Haiti. In: spiegel.de . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ a b Over 300 dead after the earthquake in Haiti. In: orf.at . August 14, 2021, accessed August 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ a b c Haiti: Earthquake - Flash Update No. 1. In: reliefweb.int . OCHA , August 15, 2021, accessed August 15, 2021 (English).
  8. ↑ ECHO Flash: Haiti - Earthquake, update. Accessed August 17, 2021 .
  9. ↑ OCHA Flash: Haiti: Earthquake Flash Update No. 2. Accessed August 17, 2021 .
  10. ↑ PAHO Natural Hazards Monitoring - August 18, 2021 Official Earthquake Haiti (update). Accessed August 19, 2021 .
  11. ↑ PAHO Haiti Earthquake Situation Report # 2. Accessed August 17, 2021 .
  12. ↑ M 7.2 - Nippes, Haiti: Ground Failure. USGS, accessed August 18, 2021.
  13. ↑ Tropical Depression Grace drenching Haiti days after major earthquake . In: The Washington Post , August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ Anne Claire Stapleton: Haiti aid group spokesperson says quake adds to crisis already facing the country. In: cnn.com . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Celine Castronuovo: Biden authorizes US response to Haiti after earthquake In: thehill.com . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  16. ^ Haiti: Insecurity and humanitarian access Situation Report No. 6 as of 8 August 2021. In: reliefweb.int . OCHA, August 14, 2021, accessed on August 14, 2021 (English).
  17. ↑ Haley Brink: Haiti can expect tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain early next week. In: cnn.com . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  18. ↑ Michelle Velez: USAID disaster response experts are on the ground in Haiti assessing damage. In: cnn.com . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  19. ↑ Haiti 7.2 magnitude earthquake CARE media release. In: reliefweb.int . CARE International, August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.
  20. ↑ UNICEF set to reach children and families in Haiti with humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of powerful earthquake. In: unicef.org . August 14, 2021, accessed August 14, 2021.