WeDidIt
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:21 PM
Original message |
Experts say death toll may exceed 100,000 in Haiti |
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Edited on Wed Jan-13-10 12:32 PM by WeDidIt
Just reported on CNN. Duer malaise called it last night: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7451284Edited to add: Haiti Prime Minister now saying HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. Reported on CNN top banner http://www.cnn.com/This could exceed the Sumatran Earthquake/Tsunami as the most devestating natural disaster in recent history.
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AngryOldDem
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:23 PM
Response to Original message |
1. Sadly, I'm not the least bit surprised. |
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When natural disasters and abject, grinding poverty collide, a lot of people die.
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kenny blankenship
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:25 PM
Response to Original message |
2. I would believe it. The capital viewed from a hillside was swirling dust from collapsed buildings |
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Edited on Wed Jan-13-10 12:35 PM by kenny blankenship
from one side to the other. (That was video footage from yesterday)
Every day in Haiti is a humanitarian tragedy - and then this happens. Given the apparent extent of damage, at this point we have to assume that Haiti as a functioning nation state doesn't exist. We will have to bring EVERYTHING.
It's too soon to talk about how long we may be involved in Haiti's recovery, but I think this going to be a very large commitment - of the kind we should be making, instead of building sand castles in Afghanistan and Iraq or Yemen.
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FedUpWithIt All
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:29 PM
Response to Original message |
3. They are saying on some of the feeds that the ocean has receded half a mile. |
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Edited on Wed Jan-13-10 12:35 PM by FedUpWithIt All
Does anyone know if this was during the earthquake itself or do they mean permanently. If they mean during the first quake, wouldn't that have caused a very serious tsunami? Was there a tsunami?
Sorry if i sound ignorant.
OK, i guess it was just a rumor that circulated in the panic and has not been completely put to rest.
Never mind.
Please donate.
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FarCenter
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:38 PM
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6. If the ocean receded a half mile permanently, it may significantly complicate shipping |
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The airport appears to be a single east-west runway, so that is fairly limited.
Bringing in the aircraft carrier Vinson may be tricky if the earthquake has changed the depths in the harbors.
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AngryOldDem
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:43 PM
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There were watches/warnings for surrounding islands, but those were later cancelled. From what I understood, the epicenter was fairly close to the surface, on land, so water impacts were minimal. Don't really understand seismology, though.
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FarCenter
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:29 PM
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4. According to wiki, the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake with 830,000 dead was the biggest earthquake |
Warpy
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Wed Jan-13-10 12:31 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
5. I said earlier that this was very much like the Tangshan quake in 1976 |
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that left an estimated quarter of the population dead.
We'll never know the true total because of the nature of the government at that time.
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DU
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Wed May 08th 2024, 02:32 AM
Response to Original message |