Earthquakes.. Canada's asistance in Haiti and Chile..

[Francis2004]

Canada was super quick at answering Haiti's call for assistance when it was struck with disaster by it's Earthquake magnitude 7.0 on January 12th 2010.. Estimates are 210,000 people dead but when it first struck we had no idea and the final tally yet to come.

The response so far seems quite the opposite, or so one would tend to believe from every media source, for Chile's 8.8 magnitude Earthquake of February 27, 2010.. Estimates are still to early to know the full impact of damages..

Based on the fact that Earthquakes can be much higher in magnitude and still have smaller damage is it wise to go slower in assistance and send in a team to assess the situation from Canada's perspective or just throw people and money at the situation no matter how bad it is ?

We probably all remember seeing the still vivid pictures of people scrambling for food, water and shelter in Haiti.. I know this is horrible but how many got the much deserved supplies needed that Canada sent..

Was Haiti a priority as some said because of our Governor General or because Canada has invested million in Haiti.. Money and Power does speak and Chile has little ties with Canada at this time..

As to our Government response, I believe Harper has done a great job to date for the people of Haiti and yet to be decided on Chile..

You're opinion on the topic..

 

[#juan]

Chile is a relatively wealthy country and they were much better prepared than Haiti.

Chile was ready for quake, Haiti wasn't - Americas AP - MiamiHerald.com

Chile has asked Canada for help and our government has promised $2,000,000.00 plus other aid not yet determined.

 

[VanIsle]

Thanks Juan. That's good to know. I was wondering if we were going to do anything to help Chile.
I'm glad that as a country, we are able to help other countries in need. I have to wonder though, if we are already so broke, and so many people are out of work here, how can we give them that money. You and I both know that we sit in what could be really nasty Earthquake territory. Who will come to our aid and will they get here before we are all under water?

 

[#juan]

In the link I posted it tells how Chile's quake was further offshore and twenty miles underground. It was also 200 odd kms from Santiago so the country was not as devastated as Haiti.

 

[#juan]

Thanks Juan. That's good to know. I was wondering if we were going to do anything to help Chile.
I'm glad that as a country, we are able to help other countries in need. I have to wonder though, if we are already so broke, and so many people are out of work here, how can we give them that money. You and I both know that we sit in what could be really nasty Earthquake territory. Who will come to our aid and will they get here before we are all under water?

I don't think we should count on anyone. We should be prepared. On a positive note, The San Andreas Fault runs outside Vancouver Island. If that fault slips again in a big way we should be protected. If the big wave washes over the island, we probably won't need to worry about it. The island will likely sink....;-):lol:

 

[Francis2004]

Chile is a relatively wealthy country and they were much better prepared than Haiti.

Chile was ready for quake, Haiti wasn't - Americas AP - MiamiHerald.com

Chile has asked Canada for help and our government has promised $2,000,000.00 plus other aid not yet determined.

Yes Chile is certainly not poor and not in need as was Haiti.. But it could probably use medical or engineering aide depending on what damages come in..

One wonders how much of Haiti's problems were not already existent.. I mean the famine and lack of clean water.. I understand the Earthquake made things worse, but Haiti was already a poor place..

As per my OP I guess Chile has been spared even tough the magnitude was so much higher.. I believe they showed 730 people dead.. That is truly unbelievable if it stays that low....

 

[Francis2004]

Thanks Juan. That's good to know. I was wondering if we were going to do anything to help Chile.
I'm glad that as a country, we are able to help other countries in need. I have to wonder though, if we are already so broke, and so many people are out of work here, how can we give them that money. You and I both know that we sit in what could be really nasty Earthquake territory. Who will come to our aid and will they get here before we are all under water?

That's a good question VI..

As Seattle and Portland will likely be affected as much as Victoria and Vancouver ( lower Mainland ) you can bet we will get little attention if a 7.5 8.8 or 9.0, as this article says, magnitude quake hits us locally as anticipated..

A major earthquake could hit the B.C. coast any day now or in hundreds of years, quake expert from Washington state says

:-?

 

[#juan]

It helps if you have a really strict building code like Chile. Haiti had no building code. Thousands of brick boxes piled on top of one another three and four high. When their quake hit, the bottom three layers collapsed

 

[Francis2004]

What about the Earthquake that caused the Tsunami of December 26, 2004 that killed nearly 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters high ?

It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were the hardest hit.

 

[#juan]

Here a link to some photos of Haitian quake damage

Haitian earthquake damage, photos - Google Search

And Chilean damage

Chilean earthquake damage, photos - Google Search