Disaster Preparedness in Haiti

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Haiti's long history of crises—natural disasters and chronic humanitarian and political situations—has had a major impact on the health of this island nation of 8.4 million. According to the Pan American Health Organization’s Epidemiological Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 1, by 2000, infant mortality had increased to 80.3/1,000 live births, a rise associated with increased poverty, deficiencies in the health system and the impact of the AIDS epidemic. Other major health concerns include vector-borne diseases such as malaria, which is endemic in Haiti, diseases preventable by immunization such as measles, intestinal infectious diseases and nutritional and metabolic diseases. Malnutrition ranks eighth among the causes of general mortality and 76% of the cases are in children under 5.

Although both natural disasters and complex emergencies wreak havoc on a country’s health care system, a natural disaster can ultimately strengthen a country’s management capacity as a result of experience gained and an influx of national and external assistance. This was the case in several countries affected by Hurricane Mitch in late 1998, where financial support was used not only for immediate repairs to infrastructure, but to also build better disaster prevention and response mechanisms. Nicaragua is a good case in point. In the last five years, the country has built up its health disaster program at a much faster pace than it was able to do in the previous twenty years, so much so that it recently led the process to create an inter-country disaster preparedness and prevention plan for the health sector in Central America. » Continue reading here

Disasters in Haiti

• 1508, July or Aug. Hurricane destroyed Santo Domingo


• 1737 Hurricane leveled St. Louis de Sud


• 1751 Earthquake, Port-au-Prince was leveled by this quake


• 1760 Sever damage to Port-au-Prince


• 1770, June 3. Earthquake of 15 days destroyed Port-au-Prince and Okay. 200 dead


• 1784. Fire destroyed much of the business district of Port-au-Prince


• 1816. August 18, hurricane at Port-au-Prince


• 1830. Huricane in Port-au-Prince


• 1831 Hurricane of 1831 destroyed south


• 1842, May 7. Earthquake shook whole island 10,000 people dead in O Kap. Wrecked Port Paix, Mole St. Nicola, O Kap and Fort Liberte. The Citadelle was seriously damaged by this quake


• 1843. Earthquake devastated, whole island


• 1875, Sept. Jacmel hit by a hurricane


• 1887, Sept. 23. Heavy earthquake. Shook north, northwest, Gonaives, St. Marc and brought down the new cathedral of Port-au-Paix


• 1930, Sept. 3. Hurricane devastated DR. Did it do any damage to Haiti? Yes. Many killed


• 1952, Oct. 27. Earthquake reported at Anse-a-Veau, it changed the waterfall at Saut de Baril


• 1954, Oct. 11. Hurricane Hazel destroyed several towns and 40% of the coffee trees and 50% of the cacao trees, also hit Port-a-Piment. Killed 1,000


• 1958, Sep. 1, Hurricane Ella damaged in the South of Haiti


• 1963, 1st week of October. Hurricane Flora 180 mph winds, killed (5) thousands


• 1964 Aug. 24, Hurricane Cleo, 192 dead, $17million damages in South of Haiti


• 1965 Sep. 29, Hurricane Inez, 750 dead, $20 million damages in South of Haiti


• 1980, Aug. 5, Hurricane Allen, 220 dead, $400 million damages in South of Haiti


• 1987, Sep. 22, Hurricane Emily, 120 mph


• 1998, Sep. 22, Hurricane Georges 500 dead, severe flood


• 2002, Sep. 29, Hurricane Lili 16 inches of rain fell over Haiti


• 2004, Sep 23, Hurricane Jeanne 3,000 dead in Gonaives

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