NewsWhore
01-13-2010, 12:50 PM
The earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday was the largest ever felt on the island of Hispaniola since 1946. Measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale, it is surpassed only by an 8.1 earthquake on 15 August 1946 in Matancitas, Nagua. The 1946 quake caused a massive tidal wave (tsunami) that affected the entire coastline from Arroyo Salado to Cabrera, with some areas remaining under water for 3 weeks. Another 7.0 quake was recorded in the Central Mountains in 1911, in the San Juan de la Maguana area. Other major tremors were recorded in December 1961, when a 6.6 quake was felt to the southeast of Santo Domingo. Another one, measuring 6.0, was registered in the Azua area on 11 June 1971.
More recently, there was a 6.7 earthquake on 22 September 2003 in the Puerto Plata-Santiago area that killed 3 people and damaged hundreds of buildings. According to the Seismological Institute at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, dozens of small tremors are recorded each month. After the big quake in Puerto Plata, there were more than 200 aftershocks.
Historically, one of the biggest earthquakes ever experienced by Europeans on the island was on 2 December 1562 when an earthquake estimated at 9.0 destroyed the cities of La Vega and Santiago. A quake estimated at 10.0 on 18 October 1751 devastated the south, and on 7 May 1842, an earthquake estimated at 11 on the Richter scale laid waste to the north of Haiti and a large part of what is now the Dominican Republic.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
More recently, there was a 6.7 earthquake on 22 September 2003 in the Puerto Plata-Santiago area that killed 3 people and damaged hundreds of buildings. According to the Seismological Institute at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, dozens of small tremors are recorded each month. After the big quake in Puerto Plata, there were more than 200 aftershocks.
Historically, one of the biggest earthquakes ever experienced by Europeans on the island was on 2 December 1562 when an earthquake estimated at 9.0 destroyed the cities of La Vega and Santiago. A quake estimated at 10.0 on 18 October 1751 devastated the south, and on 7 May 1842, an earthquake estimated at 11 on the Richter scale laid waste to the north of Haiti and a large part of what is now the Dominican Republic.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)