Catastrophic earthquake hits Haiti (Updated)

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Friday, January 15, 2010

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A major earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude hit Haiti Tuesday, January 12, shortly before 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. The initial quake lasted about a minute, followed by strong 5.9 and 5.5 aftershocks. The epicenter of Haiti's earthquake was six miles west of Carrefour, just outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

The Church of the Nazarene in Haiti had been holding district assemblies for its 11 districts this week. General Superintendent J.K. Warrick flew into Haiti Tuesday afternoon for those assemblies. Communication with personnel in Haiti has been difficult due to phone lines being down, but Warrick was able to get a text message out from the Nazarene Seminary campus in Petionville, outside of Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday to say he and other church leaders on campus were safe. (Related: On-site in Haiti, Warrick calls on Nazarenes to pray and act)

What is not known is the full extent of loss of life or property damage beyond the campus walls. Bill Dawson, the region's French Field Strategy coordinator who had also flown in for the meetings, Emailed the Caribbean Communications Office to say the situation "is grave and urgent."

"There are many injured all over the city," Dawson said Tuesday. "Major buildings, three and four stories, are down. ... Neighbors who work for the United Nations report many injured ... people carrying wounded through the streets."

"We have no news yet of our Nazarene families off campus," Dawson said. "The earthquake was centered in the mid portion of the Central District. Dr. Lucien Jean Baptiste is the D.S. (district superintendent) and is on the road for an assembly in the South Central portion of Haiti. We do not know his whereabouts or information on him and the driver yet." (Update: Lucien Jean Baptiste and his driver are reported safe.)

The population in the capital area is approximately two million people, living in dense urban communities, and they continue to experience significant aftershocks. Catastrophic casualties and damage are expected, as Haiti's weak infrastructure is not prepared for this kind of disaster.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with our Haitian family of more than 115,000 Nazarenes who have suffered such loss today," Caribbean Regional Director John Smee said on Tuesday evening. 

Please be in prayer for the Haitian people and the Nazarene churches in Haiti. Pray for those injured in the debris and those involved in relief efforts.

Update: January 13

Warrick, Dawson, and three staff members visited two churches close to their location. Both churches are secure and show no signs of damage.

Dawson reports:

There are literally thousands of people milling the streets. Bodies are covered with sheets on the sidewalks. Cars are crushed by falling buildings and walls. The Children's Hospital in Petionville has collapsed completely. Many large buildings have collapsed. The hillside huts are piles of rubble in many places. Traffic jams abound.  People are still in shock and openly grieving in the streets. We comforted people at several sites this morning as they anxiously and tearfully wait while citizen rescuers attempt to remove their loved ones from the rubble.
 
[We] slept on mattresses in the grass [last night] along with 40-50 staff, neighbors and families. There are still tremors off and on all night and this morning. Hundreds of thousands of people in Port-au-Prince area slept outside last night. Communications are still very sporadic. 
 
We will keep you posted on the situation, which is even more grave this morning than we had anticipated. We truly feel your prayers.

Update: January 14

The Caribbean Region reports five members of the Tabarre Church of the Nazarene were killed in the earthquake. The Bible college in Petionville is relatively intact, but efforts are already underway to ration water, food, and diesel. These essentials are quickly diminishing.

Nazarene church buildings in and around Petionville, at least initially, seem to have held up to the main earthquake and following aftershocks. Independent news outlets are reporting that the main Catholic cathedral in downtown Port-au-Prince has been heavily damaged. The Bel-Aire Church of the Nazarene is a few blocks from this Catholic church and the status of Bel-Aire church and its members is still unknown.

Warrick, who earlier was safely moved to Florida, remains with Caribbean Region Office personnel in order to help facilitate response initiatives on behalf of the denomination. NCM-Caribbean reports relief efforts are well underway and local churches in Haiti have been offering immediate care, comfort, shelter, and supplies where able. (story)

January 15

National NCM Coordinator for Haiti Walliere Pierre gives a firsthand account of the earthquake and its aftermath. (story)

Update: January 18

Two Church of the Nazarene U.S. Navy chaplains have been alerted and are on their way to Haiti. Chaplain Jeff Mason will be aboard the USNS Comfort (the hospital ship) and Chaplain Richard Bonnette will be sailing out of North Carolina. Chaplain Bonnette just returned from a six-month deployment in December and he and his service members are being asked to deploy again for at least two months. Please keep both in your prayers.

How to Help

Persons and churches wishing to make a donation online can do so through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries at ncm.org. Checks can be marked "Caribbean Disaster Response ACM1204" and mailed to Global Treasury Services, PO Box 843116 Kansas City, MO 64184. In Canada, checks should be made payable and sent to the Church of the Nazarene Canada, 20 Regan Road, Unit 9, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3.

For more ways to help, go to www.ncm.org/HaitiEarthquake.

 --Caribbean Region Communications, NCN News (Slideshow available)

 

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