Last Thursday, officials reported the recovery of the last known victim of Mexico’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake, raising the total death toll to 369 (Wright 2017).
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude struck Haiti about 16 miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince. Over the next 12 days, 52 after-shocks continued to rock the already destroyed country, the largest of which measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.
As the fifth anniversary of the 7.0 magnitude Haitian earthquake passed on January 12th, one would hope to see substantial recovery with new infrastructure, improved health conditions and more efficient governance. As a country of only 10 million, nearly 1.5 million or 15% of Haitians were displaced and homeless after the rubble settled five years ago.
On September 16th, 2015, Chile was hit, yet again, by a strong earthquake. The 8.3 magnitude quake was centered in the northern region of Coquimbo, 285 miles north of the capital and largest city, Santiago, and caused flooding in more southern regions such as Illapel, only 177 miles from the capital. Only five years ago in 2010, Chile was struck by another large earthquake but with much more serious consequences.
As the devastating consequences of the recent earthquake in Ecuador continue to roll in, it is increasingly evident the depth of destruction that Ecuador faces. On April 16th an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck the coast of Ecuador near Muisne, in the province of Esmeraldas. The towns of Manta, Pedernales and Portoviejo were also hit heavily. The capital, Quito, felt the tremors but was less affected.
