File this under wierd things that don't happen everyday

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

News is reporting that a 7.3 earthquake just hit the Island of Hati. Hmm. And tsunami watches are being thought about.

I'll post more when more is available.


If I remember my history correctly. That region has had quakes/tsunamis before.



Major Magnitude 7.3 Quake Hits off Haiti
Jan 12, 2010 5:14 PM EST
WASHINGTON - A major magnitude 7.3 quake hit just 9 miles off the coast of the impoverished country of Haiti on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

A local tsunami watch is in effect for countries in the area, including Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Domincan Republic, according to NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The warning notes that a destructive threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data, but cautions that waves may be on the way, especially in costal regions. The Associated Press reports that a strong earthquake has hit the Haiti, collapsing a hospital.

[vaskidmark]

cautions that waves may be on the way, especially in costal regions.

What about the regions that are not coastal?  Are waves on the way there as well?  Or has Capt. Obvious finished his work in wave predicting?

stay safe.

skidmark

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

Seems there was no tsunami, or at least none has been reported yet. Just a lot of destruction, on a FUBAR scale.

I knew this area was a major seismic zone, so I shouldn't be surprised. You just don't hear of a quake in this area of that magnitude, very often. I find earthquakes very fascinating. Living in the New Madrid Zone, a quake like this is way overdue.

[Hawkmoon]

Pretty much total devastation. UN mission building collapsed and the head of the UN mission to haiti was killed. The archbishop was killed.

And people complain when the building inspectors try to enforce the seismic protection requirements.

[FTA84]

My understanding is that most construction there is concrete/brick in nature.

The island of Hispañola does not have trees that are suitable for construction, Haiti's side barely has any trees at all.  Steel is likewise unnatural; so for a country with no other natural resources to trade for wood/steel; they have to use the minerals they've been given.

[KD5NRH]

What about the regions that are not coastal?  Are waves on the way there as well?  Or has Capt. Obvious finished his work in wave predicting?

Well, at 1270ft MSL and 300 miles from the Houston Ship Channel, I want to know if there's a tsunami I should worry about.

[RocketMan]

Well, at 1270ft MSL and 300 miles from the Houston Ship Channel, I want to know if there's a tsunami I should worry about.

When the next six mile wide asteroid smacks the Gulf of Mexico, be afraid. Be very afraid.  

[geronimotwo]

My understanding is that most construction there is concrete/brick in nature.

The island of Hispañola does not have trees that are suitable for construction, Haiti's side barely has any trees at all.  Steel is likewise unnatural; so for a country with no other natural resources to trade for wood/steel; they have to use the minerals they've been given.

you can always go back to using bamboo.   quick regrowth,  high strength, just need the proper connectors.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

you can always go back to using bamboo.   quick regrowth,  high strength, just need the proper connectors.

Or you could build an economy and import proper building supplies, like they do on the other half of the island.

It's tragic that so many people in Haiti died.  You have to wonder how much better off they'd have fared if their society had been more similar to the DR's.

[FTA84]

Judging by the photos of Haiti, a direct hit on Santo Domingo would have caused near equal amount of damage.  The building techniques appear to be near identical.

As side from being on the side of the mountain that catches all the Hurricane water, the DR owes most of its non-deforestation to the example set forth by Haiti.   Either way, in a climate where building wood is scarce, and the chance of a Hurricane far outweighs the chance of an earthquake, sign me up for a concrete house.

Even though the DR has one of the largest economies in central America, it is still overly poor by American standards.  Generally building codes and their enforcement come somewhere after basic sanitation, drinking water and electricity become reliable.  The DR hasn't conquered those yet, not even hospitals have reliable supplies of water (for such things as washing off afterbirth between delivering babies), so I know Haiti must be many many more years away.