Post Reports

Disaster on repeat in Haiti

Aug 19, 2021

In this discussion, Reginald Desroches, a Haitian-American engineer and provost of Rice University, dives into the devastating impacts of recent natural disasters in Haiti. He highlights the urgent need for earthquake-resistant infrastructure, as the 7.2-magnitude quake reveals the dangers of poorly constructed buildings. Reginald shares insights from his experiences post-2010 earthquake, emphasizing innovative engineering solutions and the socio-economic barriers that impede progress. The emotional toll on the community amidst political chaos adds to the urgency of improving disaster preparedness.

20:46

Creator website

Episode guests

Reginald DesRoches

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Devastation and Heartbreak in Post-Earthquake Haiti

2min

Challenges in Disaster Response and Infrastructure Resilience in Haiti

3min

Engineering Insights on Haiti's Earthquake Challenges

4min

Building Resilience in Haiti

8min

Haitians face devastation after two natural disasters hit the island. And what the tragedies have exposed about the country’s preparedness.

Last weekend, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake caused widespread destruction and death in Haiti. Then, torrential rain from Tropical Storm Grace hit the island. Now, Haitians are recovering from two back-to-back natural disasters while reeling from political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last month. Caribbean bureau chief Anthony Faiola reports on how public officials and citizens living close to the epicenter of the earthquake are grappling with the compounded loss and tragedy.

When an earthquake hits, it’s not the quake itself that kills people — it’s often the rattled buildings that collapse with people inside, or on top of them. And in Haiti, earthquakes are more dangerous than in other countries, because buildings there aren’t designed to withstand them. Reginald Desroches is a Haitian American engineer and provost of Rice University. After Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, he traveled there about a dozen times to investigate why the damage was so severe and to figure out how to reinforce the structures that remained standing.

Listen to our episode on the assassination of Haiti’s president and how years of U.S. intervention in the Carribean country contributed to the chaos we’re seeing now.