Haiti: Lessons for Survival

statius said:
Water and water purification devices (tablets, filters, etc.). I imagine a bunch of a town's water pipes and water system in general would be pretty messed up by a quake. That wouldn't get fixed very quickly.
Click to expand...

That is most important. I wish there was something similar to the OneLaptopPerChild programme pertaining to filters. - With OLPC you pay 2 laptops, you get one, and one is donated.

That would make a huge difference. On both sides, cause some will just do it, to donate water filters, but then they're also better prepared than before.
 
Help started arriving in about 2 days in Haiti. That is the time frame that most minimally prepare for. In a diaster like this quake in Haiti, 2 days rations is not enough. The potential always exists that your preparations are for naught if you home is destroyed. I just read that they estimate that 30% of the structures have experienced signficant structural damage. So, 70% did not.

I guess the story about the 3 little pigs does not apply with earthquakes. :)

I still bugs me a lot that other countries damn the USA for our success. But who is there when the chips are down.... THE USA. Any relief shipments from Al Quaida? Venzuala sent one plane load of supples. We have committed 100 million dollars in aid and that will probably be doubled at least in the days to come. We're paying for it or will pay for it.

I think Danny Glover needs to move to Haiti or Kuba.

The only earthquake zone in the US that will approach this quake is the New Madrid which could very well wreck the US for a long time even though both the east and west were not directly affected.
 
Haiti is a good reminder in why you make preparations. Granted, as mentioned, Haiti was disaster before the quake...what is shocking is that there is little to no communications, access to several areas is close to impossible and of course, water, food, medical assistance and sanitization are major factors and needs.

I've been reading "One Second After" about a very realistic post-EMP attack scenario and it's pretty scary to think of the chaos following a calamity where you don't have a clue if/when "help" will arrive and all things you take for granted are gone...communication, information, protection from the elements, refrigeration, heat, water, food, medication, etc. I can’t imagine the horror that the Haitians are going through. One thing I can do is make sure my family can survive (outside of an immediate medical situation that requires serious assistance), for several days to weeks without assistance. Fortunately the kids are within walking distance (5-6 miles) from their schools and my wife is looking for a job in the local area. My job is about 20 miles from our home but it is back roads and there’s a rail-road that parallels it. Having a “Get-Home” bag is critical for me and my wife if she’s out of town.

ROCK6
 
Even access to guns will be problematic. Your steel safe may tip over and make retrieving them a chore. Situation like this makes you think about a contingency for your contingency plan!
 
Toucan Oasis said:
Damn ! 8.0 !
Please elaborate.
For those that don't know, I believe an 8 is ten times stronger than a seven :eek:
Click to expand...
That is correct! Here it is, number 54:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/mag8/magnitude8_1900_date.php

It was a monster, an 8.2 in Japan. I was living in Okinawa, just outside of a little town called Koza, right outside of Kadena AFB. I was a kid, my Dad was stationed there.

I remember everything rocking and rolling, I was at home with my sibs, and I remember my brother yelling at us to lay on the floor while he was trying to save everything in the china cabinet. :) My parents were at Church, and they said that everyone ran out, yelling and screaming. I remember thinking, "What hypocrites! What better place to die?" That's how a 7 year old mind works, anyway. ;)

We lived in tiny reinforced concrete houses that were designed by the military to withstand typhoons, and they did. It played havoc all over the island, but the military and the locals had lots of experience with this, and weathered it well.
 
a guy i know is in the business of maintaining building integreity during natural disasters...told me mostly all 3 world places are horribly unprepared with no building codes (or not being enforced) which leads to a greater loss of life (including resorts). very sad event...makes you wonder if "everything happens for a reason".
 
I worked in SF for part of a year and the history of the 1906 earthquake really alerted me to the disaster potential. There, it was mainly the post-quake fires.

DancesWithKnives
 
Toucan Oasis said:
Keep looking at the photos of Haiti.
If you understand construction.
NO REBAR !!
Same thing happened here last year. Fortunately most of the buildings were very small and one story. NO REBAR. Shattered like beer bottles.

I went to help re-do 40 or so houses afterwards and they freaked at the amount of re-bar I used and they never did understand the concept of columns and tie beams. I reassured them that it wont happen again !
Click to expand...

So when are you coming here to build my shed/shelter/shop?
 
22-rimfire said:
I still bugs me a lot that other countries damn the USA for our success. But who is there when the chips are down.... THE USA. Any relief shipments from Al Quaida? Venzuala sent one plane load of supples. We have committed 100 million dollars in aid and that will probably be doubled at least in the days to come. We're paying for it or will pay for it.

I think Danny Glover needs to move to Haiti or Kuba.
Click to expand...

What does this have to do with anything?

FWIW, significant portions of Venezuelan aid was actually refused by the State Dept. And they were one of many countries that offered help. Only a fraction was actually accepted, which seems understandable.
 
The best survival tip for Haiti I can think of is to stay away from there. It's a hell hole even without earthquakes. Hopefully some aid can get though to those in need soon.
 
Insurance policies are basically useless. In a major quake that would topple houses in developed nations would simply bankrupt your insurance companies :thumbdn::thumbdn:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top