[bluesman]

As many already know a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Haiti Tuesday afternoon. I just got an AP news update on my phone indicating this...

"His prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, tells CNN: "I believe we are well over 100,000," while leading senator Youri Latortue tells The Associated Press that 500,000 could be dead. Both admit they have no way of knowing."

This would be the 4th largest natural disaster to ever strike the planet.

How sad this is.

[hamiltont]

A tragedy of unimaginable magnitude!      Prayers to those affected.....

[Hokerer]

A travesty of unimaginable magnitude!      Prayers to those affected.....

maybe you meant "tragedy" ?

[hamiltont]

A travesty of unimaginable magnitude!      Prayers to those affected.....

maybe you meant "tragedy" ?

yes, thanks!!

[a10t2]

This would be the 4th largest natural disaster to ever strike the planet.

Maybe a slight exaggeration...

[bluesman]

This would be the 4th largest natural disaster to ever strike the planet.

Maybe a slight exaggeration...

If it hits the 500K mark it would be tied for 4th.

[a10t2]

In terms of human casualties, I'm sure that's true. I was just pointing out that the *planet* has been through much worse. It's a massive and tragic loss of human life, but it's no Ordovician extinction.

[bluesman]

In terms of human casualties, I'm sure that's true. I was just pointing out that the *planet* has been through much worse. It's a massive and tragic loss of human life, but it's no Ordovician extinction.

You may be right there.

[pinnah]

Wow.  I am stunned by the magnitude.
So sad.

What a scary situation, and to get worse,
so much grief
could soon go to fear and anger

[bluesman]

A guy I know, a home inspector and member of The Red Cross, got a call to duty. He was asked to come down and do some damage assessment. He is going to do it. Fortunately, he has enough of a nest egg set aside to be able to go without pay for a short period of time. He is a really good man for doing it too.

[dean]

It is a sad thing, I've been watching it on the news quite a bit.

Earthquakes seem to effect different areas in different ways depending on the topsoil.  A while back there was a show explaining how an earthquake hit Alaska years back... the topsoil along with the local water level basically created a mud cake.  Living in Michigan and considering that its topsoil comprises of a large amount of sand, it makes me wonder what would happen here... probably the entire state would become a soupy mud cake causing more people and structures to become submerged and drown... depending on the size and length of the quake I suppose.   

[pinnah]

Earthquakes seem to effect different areas in different ways depending on the topsoil.

Earthquakes are freaky
what if some more tectonic shifts snapped off a couple more quakes next week...
one right off the coast of China,
the other offshore
but spawning a massive tsunami that thrashes Miami...
freaky.

It's a massive and tragic loss of human life, but it's no Ordovician extinction.

Rate of change
on the planet, an important concept IMO
frequently lost in our selfobsorbed second on earth.

A guy I know, a home inspector and member of The Red Cross, got a call to duty.

Yea, I hope all the aid workers can stay safe,
security will be needed.