8/14/2019 Why Did So Many Have to Die?
1/2
Date:Jan27,2010
WhyDidSoManyDie?
Wehaveallseenthehorrificimagesofbodiespiledbytheroadside.Wehaveallheardthepleasfor
help,theconcernedjournalistswhostepamongstthebodiesshovingmicrophonesinsufferingfaces,
handwater(oncamera)toachildorwatchplaneandboatloadsofmaterielarrivingasaid.What
continuestopuzzlemeisthis:Whydidsomanypeopledie?ThebuildingsinHaitiare,forthemostpart,
lowstructures.WhencomparedtotheKashmirregioninIndia/Pakistan,whichhadamuchstronger
quakein2008,thedeathtollistentimeshigherpercapita,sowhathappened?
Someofthiscanbeblamedonthetypeofhousing,thecheaperthefasterinanimpoverished
country.Partofthiscanbeblamed,asDavidBrookspointedoutintheNYTimes,onmicroaidbrought
onbymoreNGOcharitiespercapitathananyothernationonearthmicroaiddispensedhandtohand
insteadofmacroaiddoledouttoimprovetheinfrastructureandviabilityofthewholecountry.Andwe
haveallheardthenonsenseofthebiblethumperswhowanttoblamethedevil.
Thereisnodoubtthatbetterbuildingsmayhavesavedmanymorelives.Ifthesamequakehadhit,
say,OrangeCountyinCalifornia(southofLA),wheremosthomesare12stories,thebetterbuilding
codeswouldhavepreventedasmanyas65%oftheseriousinjuries.Butthatstilldoesnotaccountfor
theincredibledeathrateinHaitifromanearthquakethatwashardlythestrongestonefeltcomparedto
otherregionsintherecentpast.Therearereportsthathundredsofpeoplewerefounddeadwithouta
scratchon
them,
except
for
abruised
skin
as
they
collapsed.
What
can
cause
this
violent
adeath,
a
deathbyshaking?
Itseemstherearedifferentkindsofearthquakes,asdifferentasahurricaneistoatornado.Thisone
waslikeatornado,ahugetornado.Thisoneranalongwhatiscalledaslipstrikefault.Ageologist,Dr.
Calais,summeditupthisway,"It'sahorizontalmotionoftwopiecesoftheEarth'scrustoneitherside
ofaverticalcrackintheEarth.ThatisverysimilartotheSanAndreasFaultinCalifornia,forexample.
Thatisthewaythatfaultoperatesaswell.ThisfaultinHaitialsorunsbeneaththeDominicanRepublic.
They
had
a
bad
one
in
1946which
caused
a
Tsunami
(tidal
wave).
And
both
parts
of
the
island
were
often
affectedinpastcenturies,butnooneknowshowmanydiedbackthen.
"Themainfactoristheearthquake'ssize,"saidStuartSipkin,aseismologistattheU.S.Geological
Surveycommentingonthehugeforcesinvolved."Butthenthereisalsotheearthquakedepth.Thiswas
averyshallowearthquake,whichmeansitwouldtendtobemoredestructive.Andthenthere'sthe
proximitytowherepeoplelive."
8/14/2019 Why Did So Many Have to Die?
2/2
"ThecityofPortauPrince,thecapitalofHaiti,isessentiallybuiltonthatfault,"saidPurdue'sEric
Calais.
Whenyoucouplecheap,shoddyhousing,adensepopulationlivingonaslipstrikefault,an
earthquakeof8ormoreontheRichterscaleyouhavearecipefordisaster.Peoplecandiesandingup,
intheclear.ThereisnodoubtthattheprimereasonforthenumberofdeathsinHaiticanonlybethe
faultofthegeography:wheretheyputthebuildingsandthepopulation issmackonaslipstrike
fault.Whatamistakethatis.Whatamistakewehavemadeonthatsisterslipstrikefaultis:theSan
Andreas.Whendisasterstrikes,itwillbenousepretendingwedidnotknowwhatcouldhappen.Like
theleveewallsinNewOrleans,wehaveplentyofexamplesandscientistswhoknow,already,whatthe
dangersare.Butwillwelisten?