Location: Haiti
Event: At 8:29 am EST a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti, approximately 75 miles west of the capital Port au Prince. The epicenter was 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud in the south and there are reports of damage to buildings and injuries in the southern towns of Jeremie and Les Cayes. A 5.2 magnitude aftershock occurred 12.5 miles west-northwest of Cavaillon, followed by a 4.1 magnitude aftershock 5.5 miles south-southeast of Petit Trou de Nippes. Aftershocks can also be expected in the coming days and weeks.
Actions to take:
—Notify Friends and Family of your safety
—Monitor local media for updates
—Review your personal security plans
Additionally, in the event of an earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey provides the following tips:
- If you are INDOORS — STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it (Drop, Cover, and Hold on!) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DO NOT run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.
- If you are OUTSIDE — get into the OPEN, away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.
- If you are DRIVING — stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.
- If you are in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA — watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.
- If you are near the OCEAN – see these safety rules from NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Center.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre
Emergencies: +509-2229-8000
Non-emergency inquiries: acspap@state.gov
Website: https://ht.usembassy.gov/
- Contact the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs
- 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from the United States and Canada
- 1-202-501-4444from other countries
- Haiti Country Information
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
- Follow us on Facebookand Twitter
