Finalizing Haiti
Haiti's Main Natural Hazards
Haiti is no stranger to a number of natural hazards to date. The most dangerous ones, from most to least hazardous, are earthquakes, hurricanes, and flooding. Although they have been ranked from most to least hazardous, these are the events that take place most often in the country. These hazards are also ranked as a priority due to the severity of damages they cause and also because of how likely they continue to occur. They are also seen as a priority because they are the main events that seem to be worsening throughout the past couple of decades as a result of climate change. These events are also the reason why Haiti is considered the poorest country in all the Western hemisphere.
As flooding is the result of hurricanes, earthquakes and such happen so often in Haiti due to its location in the Caribbean. Haiti's location is prime territory for hurricanes and tropical storms. The country also lies right between the Caribbean and North American Plate boundaries, resulting in several fault lines between the two. This makes Haiti that much more vulnerable to experiencing earthquakes all too often.
In order to help mitigate Haiti's earthquake and hurricane hazards, it is important to start with infrastructure. This helps to minimize damages to most buildings from collapsing which can injure the people inside them. This would also increase flexibility in buildings and housing for movement that occurs during extreme earthquakes. It is also highly recommended to keep extra batteries and radios in homes for further instruction of where to evacuate before and after earthquakes or hurricanes. Three-day food and water supplies are also highly necessary in the event that these hazards do occur.
The riskiest areas that are most exposed to natural hazards are low lying and coastal regions. Mountainous areas are also exposed to a lot of water runoff making them vulnerable to landslides when hurricanes occur. The Sud region of Les Cayes and the east department of the coast are most exposed and vulnerable to flooding. For this reason, it important that these areas have stable housing or established evacuation routes to avoid further damages and injuries to those living in them.
A good area for housing, as shown in the map above, would be far from coastal regions on elevated ground. Not all, but most areas in the green regions would be great for housing to avoid potential natural hazards, especially hurricanes and earthquakes. Hinch or Verrettes would be the best choices, as they are in stable surrounded land away from the water and closer to the Dominican Republic. Although these hazards are inevitable, damages to buildings and injuries or deaths can best be avoided in these regions.
Resources:The History of Natural Disasters in Haiti - uFondwa-USA, Inc.
The reason behind devastating earthquakes in Haiti (breezyscroll.com)
Haiti Earthquake Mitigation - My Site (weebly.com)
Haiti risk mapping 20120130 (cordaid.org)
This was a complete and thoughtful final post!
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