Port-au-Prince has the misfortune of being near a fault zone that seldom causes earthquakes, but when thy occur, they are monsters. Most people along this fault zone live out their lives, never knowing that danger lies beneath their feet. The last major earthquake near Port-au-Prince occurred in 1770. The fault zone that caused this disaster runs east-and-west, through Hispaniola and Jamaica (map). In 1692, an earthquake along this fault zone nearly destroyed Port Royal, Jamaica. Read more.
Most of the survivors moved across the bay, to Kingston. In 1906, the Kingston residents heard of an earthquake and fire in San Francisco that nearly destroyed that city, never suspecting that they were about to endure the same catastrophe. Then on January 14, 1907, the earth moved, and Kingston was nearly destroyed.
This postcard shows the damage at the corner of King and Harbour Streets, Kingston, Jamaica. It was printed in Great Britain shortly after the earthquake.
Port Royal, San Francisco and Kingston recovered and rebuilt after their disasters. Now it is Port-au-Prince's turn, an endeavor made all the more difficult by its population density and poverty.
One aspect of this catastrophe is that Haiti's heritage is threatened, not only by the damage and/or destruction of its historic buildings, but also by the damage to its libraries and archives. To learn more about their destruction and recovery, visit the Digital Library of the Caribbean's web site.
The people of Chile and Haiti have reason to fear earthquakes. Let us hope they do not have to endure catastrophes again for a long, long time.
-- Rebecca A. Smith, Curator of Research Materials
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