Haiti earthquake of 2010 was one of the worst natural disasters in Haiti’s history. It struck the southern part of the country on Jan. 12, 2010. According to the Haitian government, the earthquake killed about 316,000 people and forced more than a million from their homes. However, many experts believe that the actual number of fatalities was much lower. Many people went missing. The quake largely destroyed Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, as well as other cities.
The United States Geological Survey—a government agency that studies nature, including natural disasters—estimated that the quake had a magnitude of 7. Magnitude is a measurement of earthquake strength based on ground motion. The 2010 earthquake was the most powerful quake to strike Haiti in more than 200 years. The disaster added to the troubles of one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere. Less than two years earlier, in 2008, tropical storms and hurricanes killed hundreds of Haitians, destroyed the city of Gonaïves, and devastated the country’s agriculture.
The earthquake occurred at 4:53 p.m. local time on Jan. 12, 2010. Its epicenter—that is, the point on Earth’s surface above where the quake originated—was about 15 miles (25 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince. This area lies near the border between two tectonic plates—the North America Plate and the Caribbean Plate. Tectonic plates are large, rigid sections of Earth’s rocky outer shell. The slow movements of the plates in relation to one another may cause earthquakes. People reported feeling the earthquake throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as in Florida and Venezuela and on numerous islands. In the two weeks following the original quake, scientists recorded more than 50 aftershocks (smaller quakes that follow a main, larger earthquake) with magnitudes of 4.5 or higher. The aftershocks of some large earthquakes may continue for a few years.
The Haiti earthquake devastated the infrastructure (essential services and facilities) of Port-au-Prince. Schools, hospitals, and government buildings collapsed. Many of the buildings were damaged because of poor construction or designs that were not earthquake-resistant. The National Palace, the presidential residence, lay in ruins. Besides Port-au-Prince and its suburbs, other cities that suffered heavy damage included Grand Goâve, Jacmel, Léogâne, Miragoâne, and Petit Goâve.
Search and rescue teams, armed forces, doctors, and other relief workers from around the world traveled to Haiti to help the earthquake survivors. However, port closings and damage to Haiti’s main airport limited the delivery of emergency supplies and workers. Some survivors waited many days without food, water, or medical treatment. Huge camps of tents provided shelter for thousands of those left homeless. Many survivors moved to smaller communities in northern Haiti. Some Haitians with the resources to do so or with personal connections abroad resettled on neighboring Caribbean islands and in the United States.
Foreign governments, humanitarian organizations, and individuals around the world donated money or pledged future aid. Haitians living abroad sent billions of dollars’ worth of money and goods to family and friends in need. On Jan. 25, 2010, representatives from various donor countries and international organizations met in Montreal, Canada. They agreed that a 10-year commitment was necessary to help Haiti recover. Their plan maintained that Haitians should play a leading role in the long-term reconstruction of their country.
