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Sophia De Quattro
Professor Young
HONO 3215/ Bay Area Rocks
30 September 2013
Haiti Earthquake 2010
Remember back to your childhood when you read the three little pigs fairytale.
Which house, if given the option, would you choose to live in? The house made of straw,
sticks, or bricks? If you, like 62 percent of the worlds population, live in a country with a
significant seismic hazard, or risk of earthquakes (Oskin 2013), you better hope that one
of those houses is retrofitted. However, what if you, your family, or community, dont
have that option? In Haiti, the majority of the population does not, as was proved in the
2010 Haitian Earthquake. Earthquakes have an everlasting impact geologically, such as
transforming locations of where faults move, as well as socially, such as a global
response to the need for humanitarian aid in a developing country.
In January of 2010, a strike-slip fault along the country of Haiti released an
immense amount of pressure 15 km (9 miles) southwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince
about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) below the ground (Why Haitis Quake 2010). For a
strike-slip fault, the dominant displacement is horizontal and parallel to the strike of the
fault. This is the same fault type we know in California as the San Andreas Fault. The
Atlantic island of Hispanola, where Haiti is located, lies on a boundary between the
Caribbean North American plates. Geophysicist Carrieann Bedwell explains why the
interactions between the plates were so violent when the pressure was released. Bedwell
says, The two sides of the fault line moved past each other in an east-west direction and

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thats what caused the energy release and the Haiti earthquakes (FoxNews). It was
recorded to have a 7.0 magnitude. This quake was exceptionally destructive since the
hypocenter occurred so close to the surface of the earth, and under a land mass rather
than in the ocean. The duration of the earthquake is estimated to have lasted between 35
to 60 seconds, which is considered to be a long span of time for an earthquake. The
duration is one of many factors that determine earthquake destruction.
Another factor is the infrastructure quality in an earthquake prone region. Much
of the destruction and fatalities nowadays come from man-made structures, and Haitis
subpar architecture had dismal chances of lasting under normal circumstances, especially
not with the destructive rumbles of a high magnitude earthquake. The levels of damage
depend on intensity and duration of the vibrations, nature of the material upon which the
structure rests, and the design of structures. Port-au-Prince, Haiti is not a place of
elaborate infrastructure. Michael Blanpeid, the associate coordinator for the U.S.
Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, describes the economic state of the
country. He says, Unfortunately, Haiti has a rather poor economy and not a wonderful
building style for earthquake resistance (Earthquake Science 2013). In hindsight, it
appears obvious that we should relentlessly retrofit buildings in major cities that fall
along fault lines, especially with the heightened threat of building strength when
aftershocks occur. Aftershocks are noted as adjustments that follow a major earthquake
that often generate smaller earthquakes. Buildings that survived the initial earthquake
become too rigid to withstand the waves of an aftershock if they are not properly
retrofitted. However, we must also recognize that Haiti had not experienced an
earthquake of that caliber since the 18th century, over 200 years ago. Furthermore, its

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status as a developing country does not place infrastructure as a priority to their

government. Due to poor governance, environmental mismanagement, and increasingly
unequal income distribution, Haitians and their man-made structures are extremely
susceptible to damage, demolition, and death. Humans as a species have settled into a
lifestyle that promotes destructionand Haiti is a humbling realization of that.
Approximately 2220,000 people died from the initial earthquake, and nearly one-third of
the Haitian population was either directly or indirectly affected (Holmes 2010). If Haiti
had the resources to build their structures to code, then this earthquake would not have
had as high of fatality rates. Most damage would have been avoided. Humanity as a mass
is to blame for developing in areas that are so sensitive to natural disaster.
Nevertheless, there is an overwhelming sense in developed countries to provide
aid to less abled countries that undergo disaster. The humanitarian efforts made after the
catastrophe that took place in Haiti was remarkablethere was a presence of global
effort to help reconstruct Haiti as well as its people. Technology has had bittersweet
implications since its existence, but one cannot deny its power to communicate
information to the masses through media for relief efforts. Thankfully, the ease of access
to information in todays age allowed an international community to develop between
refugees and supporters who provided assistance not only financially but also physically
and emotionally. There is a current trend within online communities to give back to real
life communities. For example, the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA), a nonprofit organization
mainly supported by young adults interested in civic engagement, rallied people that were
a part of online community fandoms of popular books, movies, and TV series to create
the relief effort entitled Helping Haiti Heal. In just two weeks, the HPA raised $123,000

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for Partners In Health (PIH). This was mainly made possible due to online auctions.
Popular Internet icons and writers, John and Hank Green, Maureen Johnson, and J.K.
Rowling, among others offered special prizes in return for donations from members of
the fandoms. PIH provides health care for impoverished communities and was able to
charter five planes to Haiti full of medical supplies from the donations earned through
auctions. The first four were appropriately named after the characters from the Potter
Universe: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore; the fifth was named DFTBA, which
stands for Dont Forget To Be Awesome. The online community Nerdfighteria, a fandom
that closely follows the vloggers John and Hank Green, coined this phrase. I am a
member of this community, which strives to maximize all opportunities that arise to give
back to humanity on a global scale.
Relief efforts went beyond just the Harry Potter Alliance. The Haiti earthquake
received an unprecedented response to mobile donation appeals. I distinctively remember
the Haiti earthquake making headlines in the media throughout the year of 2010. Text
Haiti to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti is vividly engrained in
my mind from American Red Crosss attempt to move a nation to donate and restore
Haiti in everyway possible. The Haitian Earthquake of 2010 truly established the power
of media sources in promoting humanitarian aid. In a sense, it became a bandwagon
movement to provide any and all help in response to disasters. It is now the expected
norm when a disaster strikes on a massive scale.
Many of the lessons learned of the Haiti Earthquake response can bee seen as
huge achievements; nonetheless, mistakes were still prevalent in the restoration of the
community. One major failing impact comes from the humanitarian organizations that

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flocked to the country in effort to help. It often happens that intent to do good can
transform into negative implications, and thats exactly what happened. Sir John Holmes,
former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator remarks, the influx of many hundreds of humanitarian [organizations],
many of whom, while well-meaning, were not necessarily professional and well-informed
in their approach, posed a huge challenge to coherence (2). If anything, humans must
develop the abilities to communicate across culture. Communication across cultures is
essential, yet it is not trivial. Very few understand it and even less advocate for it. No
community responds well to groups of others even if they come in the pursuit to aid
refugees. The humanitarian community essentially invaded the Haitian culture, which is
unacceptable. There was too much of a divide between the agendas of the local residents
and the humanitarian organizations. Yes, a global community banded togetherbut we
must be sensitive to the culture strongly seeded within Haiti. There is a call for more
effective engagement for the international community.
As humanity continues to understand the behavior of earthquakes and improve
upon international engagement, death tolls are exponentially rising from earthquakes.
Tom Holzer, geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, predicts that by the year 2100,
earthquake deaths will reach 3.5 million. The main reasons for this come from massive
population growth and rapid urbanization. Haitis circumstances supremely represent this
pressing issue. Earth currently hosts 7 billion people, and if or when the population
reaches 10 billion, scientists claim there will be an earthquake each century responsible
for a million fatalities. The United Nations believes 2083 to be the year we will reach a
population of 10 billion (Oskin 2013). With population on the rise, there is little we can

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do to stop such fatal and damaging earthquakes. The places in the world that are located
on a fault line are the most luxurious and geographically appealinghowever, they are
the most dangerous and densely populated. This is why high death tolls come from
earthquakes, and it is a lesson that humanity will not learn willingly. I myself refuse to
relocate just because I live along a transform fault. I anxiously anticipate the next big
quake along the San Andreas Fault, and I know that I cannot escape an earthquake in my
lifetimebut the location is far more rewarding and I refuse to live anywhere but
California because I am so attached to my roots. This is where our problem stems from.
The majority of people will not be compliant if forced to move out of their hometown or
current living location in order to relocate to a seismically safe area because it is such a
strong defining factor of us. My entire life has been spent growing up all around the San
Andreas Fault, and many of the people affected by the Haiti Earthquake of 2010 simply
rebuilt their city they regarded as home, which no change in building style. And that is
humanitys greatest mistake.

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Works Cited
Earthquake Science: The Haitian Quake Explained. Livescience. Fox News. January
13, 2010. Web. October 1, 2013.
Holmes, John Sir. Learning the lessons of Haiti. Humanitarian Exchange.
Humanitarian Practice Network. October 2010. Web. October 1, 2013. (pp 1-5).
Oskin, Becky. Earthquake Deaths to Reach 3.5 Million by 2100. Livescience. February
21, 2013. Web. October 1, 2013.
Why Haitis Quake was so Devastating. CBC News. January 13 2010. Web. October
1, 2013.