Dangerous aftershocks plague Haiti region hit by earthquake, more expected

[Judi Lynn]

BY LARISA KARR
AUG. 19, 2021

Days after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Haiti, killing at least 1,941 people and injuring more than 9,000 people, smaller earthquakes known as aftershocks continue to occur in the area. In total, 22 aftershocks have taken place since Saturday, ranging from magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.8, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The majority of the aftershocks occurred the day of the largest earthquake and have progressively decreased. Today, a sole aftershock occurred at 4:47 p.m. about seven miles northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, one of the cities closest to the epicenter of Saturday’s earthquake.

The USGS continues updating its site daily about the earthquake and predictions for future impact.

“Larger aftershocks could cause additional damage, especially in weakened structures,” according to the most recent USGS bulletin issued Wednesday. Several magnitude 5 and larger aftershocks have occurred already, and it is likely that there will be more earthquakes of this size over the next week, month, and beyond, the geological body said.

So far, most of the aftershocks have occurred in the Nippes Department close to Baradères, a town located 35 miles north of Les Cayes, and Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, the epicenter of the first earthquake.

Aftershocks, which are caused when unstable rock around the fault line adjusts after a major earthquake, can trigger additional destruction like landslides, which the USGS predicts will continue to happen.

Satellite imagery from NASA shows that the landslides are primarily occurring in sparsely populated areas, but experts are still concerned, particularly with the heavy rain unleashed yesterday by Tropical Depression Grace.

“Debris and rock already mobilized by the earthquake may be transported by flash flooding as devastating debris flows,” said landslide expert Robert Emberson in a press release from NASA. “The material is mostly at the base of hills currently, but rivers quickly filled by rain could push that downstream and cause severe impacts to communities living farther from the location of the landslides.”

More:
https://haitiantimes.com/2021/08/19/more-aftershocks-expected-in-haiti/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Morgues fill to capacity in Haitian town hard-hit by quake

August 18, 2021
5:45 PM CDT
Last Updated 6 hours ago
Americas

Reuters

2 minute read

LES CAYES, Haiti, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Bodies lay in the courtyard of one morgue in the southern Haitian city of Les Cayes on Wednesday as funeral directors struggled to cope with the arrival of corpses following a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 2,000 people.

Morgues in the bustling port town said they had run out of space to store corpses as rescue workers toiled for a fifth day to pull dead bodies from the wreckage caused by Saturday's 7.2 magnitude quake.

Jeantine Prosper, director of the 'Shalom' morgue, said he was having trouble finding places to store the bodies inside the building and to find fuel for the generator to keep them refrigerated inside.

In a patio at the rear of his small business, beneath a corrugated iron roof, several bodies lay beneath sheets, sheltered from the tropical sun. Inside, corpses lay head-to-toe on the tiled floor of the refrigerated room.

More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/morgues-fill-capacity-haitian-town-hard-hit-by-quake-2021-08-18/