A temporary shift of and respite from the local grimness of the last few days to another shocking experience in Haiti… I was struck by Lara Marlow’s testimony to an aftershock earthquake in her wooden constructed hotel on the heights looking over the destruction of Haiti… In the middle of the quake (6.1, as opposed to the original 7 on the Richter scale) which lasted not much more than thirty minutes:
…I remembered a Haitian woman telling me that concrete buildings are safe for hurricanes but death traps in earthquakes, whereas wood is safer in earthquakes but offers no protection against hurricanes. Lesson number one, I thought: you’re lucky to be in a wooden building.
In the UK you can give to DEC by texting “GIVE” to 70077 to donate £5… In the Republic RTE have a comprehensive guide to the legitimate charities here…
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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