At roughly 4:53 p.m. on January 12, 2010, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0, shook Haiti. This was one of the most destructive natural disasters in history. The quake instantly reduced buildings to rubble, while taking lives and destroying homes. It is estimated that nearly 230,000 people were killed, 300,000 were injured, and over 1.5 million were left homeless. America quickly reacted.
When the earthquake hit, we were instantly taken back to the devistation of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was the perfect example of what not to do after a natural disaster of that magnitude. How would we use what we learned from the disaster of Katrina to better our relief efforts for Haiti? Though there are significant differences between the two incidents, the end goal would inevitably be the same; to reconstruct a distressed nation.
The earthquake hit Haiti with little or no warning. Three million civilians were going about their normal, everyday routines, with no idea that their lives were about to drastically change. The residents of New Orleans had warning of the storms approach days in advance, which gave some citizens time to evacuate. The death toll of Katrina was numbered in the thousands, while Haiti lost over 200,000. Both left massive numbers of people homeless with all the damage. Hurricane Katrina took place in the richest country in the Western hemisphere, while the earthquake in Haiti took place in the poorest.
Sources:
Office of the Press Secretary. (2010). The United States Government's Haiti Earthquake Response. The White House.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/united-states-governments-haiti-earthquake-response
Gioia, C. (2010). Comparing the Haitian earthquake with Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.helium.com/items/1717383-comparing-the-haitian-earthquake-with-hurricane-katrina
Gillhouse, S. (2010). Comparing the Haitian earthquake with Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.helium.com/items/1715494-katrina-and-hait-tragedies-similarity
When the earthquake hit, we were instantly taken back to the devistation of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was the perfect example of what not to do after a natural disaster of that magnitude. How would we use what we learned from the disaster of Katrina to better our relief efforts for Haiti? Though there are significant differences between the two incidents, the end goal would inevitably be the same; to reconstruct a distressed nation.
The earthquake hit Haiti with little or no warning. Three million civilians were going about their normal, everyday routines, with no idea that their lives were about to drastically change. The residents of New Orleans had warning of the storms approach days in advance, which gave some citizens time to evacuate. The death toll of Katrina was numbered in the thousands, while Haiti lost over 200,000. Both left massive numbers of people homeless with all the damage. Hurricane Katrina took place in the richest country in the Western hemisphere, while the earthquake in Haiti took place in the poorest.
Sources:
Office of the Press Secretary. (2010). The United States Government's Haiti Earthquake Response. The White House.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/united-states-governments-haiti-earthquake-response
Gioia, C. (2010). Comparing the Haitian earthquake with Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.helium.com/items/1717383-comparing-the-haitian-earthquake-with-hurricane-katrina
Gillhouse, S. (2010). Comparing the Haitian earthquake with Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.helium.com/items/1715494-katrina-and-hait-tragedies-similarity
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