‘Still in shock’

EARTHQUAKE | Haiti is hit by a massive earthquake followed by aftershocks, with an epicenter near the capital, Port-au-Prince | Mindy Belz, Jamie Dean

Associated Press/Radio Tele Ginen

As a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, missionary wife Heather Hopp “thought a truck had an accident on the highway and was rolling down the hill towards the house.” The earthquake, with an epicenter just 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was followed by severe aftershocks that left the ground shaking for minutes and caused amounts of damage Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Raymond Alcide Joseph, described as “catastrophic.”

With widespread power outages and confusion, early reports are spotty. But they indicate that at least one hospital in the capital and possibly the presidential palace have collapsed. In the immediate aftermath of the quake, a tsunami watch was put out for Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas, but was later lifted. UN officials told the BBC they could not contact their mission in Haiti but estimated as many as 3 million people could be affected by the quake.

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Hopp, and her husband, Ben, a missionary with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, live with their three children about 45 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince. On the couple’s blog Ben wrote, “The earthquake in Haiti about an hour ago did damage places south of us but here we only experience strong tremors. No damage to buildings or property.

“Heather was at home on our deck. She said at first she thought a truck had an accident on the highway and was rolling down the hill towards the house. The tremors lasted about 20 seconds here. The kids and I were down in the pool. I stood up and had a hard time staying in one place. The kids did not freak out but the pool was like a wave pool, with water spilling out the sides. We are grateful to be OK. We are still experiencing some light aftershocks as I write this.”

Charles Amicy, a Haitian pastor who heads Presbyterian Mission in Haiti, was traveling in the country with his 11-year-old son and a medical team from Savannah, Ga., when the quake struck. “I was in Port au Prince when that happened and I saw with my own eyes several houses collapsed and several people died,” Amicy emailed WORLD shortly after the quake. He said he, his family, and the team were all OK but he had not reached relatives in Port-au-Prince, adding, “For me to witness walls, buildings collapsed and people caring [for the] injured and the streets full with people crying, going here and there looking for their love ones they didn't see. I am still in shock from what happened.”

Faith-based relief groups quickly mobilized for what is certain to be a massive disaster area. World Relief cited an eyewitness in Port-au-Prince who reported that the city was “just gray with dust.”

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with a population of 8.5 million, annual per capita income of less than $400, and an average life expectancy of 53. Health officials estimate that 2 percent of the adult population is HIV positive.

In Port-au-Prince, a city of 2 million, eyewitnesses trapped in an urban center gone dark and crumpled sought to communicate via mobile phones and social networking. Carel Pedro, a photographer based in Haiti, began sending photos to friends who posted them on Twitter just moments after the second aftershock. Twitter user Marvin Ady reported, “Millions are suffering in the dark. . . . People are having a hard time finding family members.”