Comparing Chiliean And Hatian Earthquakes

March 16, 2010 - PRLog -- One of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded, left a death toll of over 800 people, while untold numbers are still missing and 2 million people displaced, wounded or otherwise affected. The death toll is expected to still rise.

As governments prepared for a possible tsunami, the 90 second, 8.8 earthquake triggered warnings right across the Pacific. Prior to the 21.7 mile deep major quake hitting Chile, several quakes of 5 or more were registered on the Momentum Magnitude, (a more accurate measure of an earthquake’s energy). Approximately 30 aftershocks followed, some measuring higher than 6.0.

Tsunami surges left 3 people dead and 13 missing as 10 foot waves hit the Chilean islands of Juan Fernandez. Many had put out to sea in small boats, in order to avoid the effects of the earthquakes.

A series of small 3-foot tsunamis hit the big island of Hawaii but caused no damage. Smaller-than-expected waves washed ashore on Hawaii, Japan and South California. Thousands of people were evacuated and many South Pacific islanders fled to higher ground. People turned out along New Zealand’s east coast to watch as waves of up to 1.5 metres hit the coast.

In some of the most heavily affected areas of Chile, looters overran supermarkets, making off with food, water and diapers, as well as television sets. Some banks were robbed in the port city of Concepcion, the country’s second largest city. Police in armoured vehicles sprayed looters with water cannons and arrested several people.

Army troops were sent to the area. Concepcion resident Patricio Martinez told reporters, "We have money to buy it, but the big stores are closed, so what are we supposed to do?”

After the biggest earthquake ever recorded, the 9.5, 20.5 miles deep, quake in 1960, the Chilean government forced builders to adhere to strict building codes. In spite of this Bachelet’s government estimates that a million buildings have been damaged.

More than 215,000 people were killed in the recent 7 earthquake in Haiti. A million were left homeless. Haiti’s earthquake was 700 times less powerful than the one that strike Chile, but it was closer to the earth’s surface.

While Chilean President was immediately on the streets comforting citizens, Haiti’s President Rene Preval has been almost AWOL for weeks.

Haiti, the western hemisphere’s poorest country and Chile, Latin America’s highest per capita GDP, are both located on top of large, volatile fault lines. Haiti let its buildings go up with little or no input from engineers, amid widespread corruption. 13 of the 14 federal ministry building collapsed in the Jan 12 earthquakes.

An extremely deadly 25 foot tsunami followed the 1960 Chilean quake, causing more of the 5,700 deaths. Most of them were from the tsunami. In Hawaii and Japan 61 people were killed, with tremendous destruction to property.

About Comparing Chilean And Haitian Earthquakes
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