Haiti Natural Disasters

After Hurricane Sandy there was a bunch of damage done to theses states : Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, and the U.S. (“Superstorm Sandy”). “The hurricane left an estimated 200,000 people without shelter” (“Superstorm Sandy”). The property damage was an estimate from between $30-$50 billion (“Superstorm Sandy’’). Many people had no home for a long time nothing to come home to or

On January twelfth 2010, a deadly earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit the coast of Port au prince, Haiti for 35 seconds, killing around 200,000 and leaving approximately to 1.5 million of the population homeless including kids who became orphans and vice versa in a matter of less than a minute. Before the earthquake, the way of life was not as bad as portrayed back at home, most of the news broadcasted in the mainstream media were exaggerated news, negative light and unfair tales to make Haiti look inferior.

Haiti is located in the Caribbean between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It is located west of the Dominican Republic on the western third of Hispaniola.This means that Haiti is bordered by water on three out of its four sides. The terrain of Haiti is mostly mountainous. Elevation ranges from 0 meters at the Caribbean Sea to 2,680 meters at Chaine de la Selle. The land area is 27,560 square kilometers which makes Haiti slightly smaller in size than Maryland. With a population of 10,485,800 people the distribution is relatively even. However, there are higher concentrations of people located along the coastlines. (CIA, 2017)

Hurricane Katrina left the Gulf Coast with a total of 125 billion in economic damage and cost insurance company 's $60 billions in claims. Since the devastation was severe The government were compelled to get emergency aid from outside countries and different organizations. The countries that came to the United States aid were Afghanistan, Iran, and Canada. Afghanistan gave $100,000 to Support hurricane victims, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Iran also gave aid by offering to send humanitarian aid to hurricane victims. Canada offered to assist in any way it could, and its navy prepared a ship full of emergency disaster relief supplies to be sent (CNN.com).

The restoration of areas affected by hurricane Hazel was very costly. In North America relief organizations quickly got shelter, food and other essentials for everyone who was left homeless or affected. The Hurricane Relief Fund collected donations from around the world to help restore the areas. This money did a number things like providing support for people left with nothing, to organize funerals for the deceased and to rebuild farms, bridges, businesses, homes, schools and more. North America received much support from around the world and the areas were quite quickly restored. Haiti on the other hand had very slow recovery being a poor country. It took a long time for the area and economy to be restored again.

Haiti is a country still devastated from the events of January 12, 2010. At 4:53 pm, southwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince, an earthquake measured at 7.0, struck the Haitian people and would have rippling effects in the years to come. More than 300,000 people lost their lives and about a million Haitians were affected overall. Nevertheless, Haiti has always had problems, just after gaining their freedom from France in the early 19th century they were in debt. A writer from BBC News says, “Chronic instability, dictatorships, and natural disasters in recent decades have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas.”

On January 12, 2010 one of the deadliest events occurred in Haitian history. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti which destructed major buildings such as the hospitals which were very important for the wide spread diseases that occurred at the time of the earthquake in the country. Homes and lives had changed drastically after the earthquake struck, many had to bear with the loss of personal belongings and loved ones. Due to the severe destruction, New York Times stated that the city Port- au-Prince “fell into darkness” (Romero and Lacey). The Haiti earthquake had catastrophic, slow recovery effects on many lives, the environment and the economy.

“One out of four civil servants living in the capital were killed sixty percent of the city's government buildings and 80% of its schools were destroyed or damaged. Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere” (Economic Impact of the Earthquake). ‘’Haiti was especially vulnerable to damage from natural disasters” (“Earthquake Caused Lasting Damage”). Being a poor country many of the nation relied on the agriculture. “Transportation and communication were also damaged by the earthquake” 80 percent of the generation is living on $2 or less per day or week( "Earthquake Case Study).One hundred fifteen thousand tents and “shelters provided support for people without jobs, which equates to nearly 70% of the population, through cash/food-for-work projects” ("Earthquake Case

Seven years after the earthquake in 2010 which caused over 200,000 deaths and destroyed the capital Port-Au-Prince, Haiti still depends on humanitarian aid to survive, remaining one of the poorest countries in the world. In the 18th century, the so-called pearl of the West Indies was a French colony and the richest of the empire; a stark contrast from modern day Haiti. Discovered in 1492 in the Caribbean Sea on the island Hispaniola, alongside the Dominican Republic, Haiti covers 28,000 km2 with almost 11 million inhabitants, 90% of which are Christians however, a large part still practices voodoo. The Official languages are French and Creole. Abandoned by the Spaniards, the french gained sovereignty over the western part of the island, Santo Domingo.

Generally, when thinking of Haiti most tourists think of carnival celebrations, earthquakes, and poverty. Haiti is also believed to be a great place to visit because it is assumed that crime rate is extremely low, the climate is wonderful, and throughout the country it is surrounded by friendly people. On the contrary, the “great” carnivals are often events where people get shot and/or critically injured. The crime rate is significantly high and earthquakes has become one of the biggest threats to the country. The most recent earthquake in Haiti killed more than 230,000 people. Being a child of Haiti, born and raised, what I clearly remember aside from the trauma of my people was Saint Patrick River, the worsts place on the whole island.

It caused horrific flooding and major mudslides; this also sparked water shortage and electrical outings and left families without homes. Haiti depends heavily on its agriculture and trade, the earthquake damaged crops and livestock, and meanwhile the 2010 earthquake left Haiti in the most devastating state. This earthquake has affected the school system drastically, the folding of the education system, with about half the schools in the republic being affected by the earthquake, has been withdrawn and today there are more children in school, at least at the early school level, than ever before.

Today, Haiti still faces poor financial scarcity. The country of Haiti is recognized as the land of tragedy and hope. “The early history of Haiti has a unique and tragic history. Natural disasters, poverty, racial discord, and political instability plagued the small country throughout its history. Before the arrival of Europeans, Arawak (also known as Taino) and Carib Indians inhabited the island of Hispaniola” (Nations

that is much more dependent on international charity than on its own economic power and leaders that are better equipped at begging than leading.

In August 1492 Christopher Columbus left Spain on a voyage to discover new land . After 36 days of sailing he set foot on an Island called “Hispaniola” and claim it for the Spanish. Hispaniola is know today as the Dominican Republic. The Spanish maintain control until the French came in and took the Western third of the Island which is known as Haiti today. According to The World Fact book Haiti was wealthy while under the control of France. However, the cost of wealth came with the price of ½ million slaves. In 1791 the Haitians decided that they no longer wanted to be slaves and fought for their independence. (Dubois pg. 5) Haiti would be come the first black republic to declare independence in 1804.

Natural disasters mark a history where they happen, many are the cities and towns that have been affected by one of these feared phenomena; a hurricane, a tornado or an earthquake destroy everything in its step, often razing with material things and unfortunately sometimes destroying the lives of millions of people.