Might as well start this...

List of the initial earthquake and all aftershocks:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/10/285_20_eqs.php


http://www.theinsider.com/news/3151288_W...thquake_Victims

You can donate $5 at a time by sending "YELE" (without quotes) to 501501. This was setup by Wyclef Jean, nephew of the Haitian Ambassador.

I got a "heads up" phone call last night, and now I'm just waiting for a possible deployment order for a mission to Haiti. I kinda doubt it will happen, but my uniforms and gear are packed and ready. If I go, I'll try to post reports here.

Also, $10 goes to the American Red Cross if you text "HAITI" to "90999", charged to your cell phone bill.

Ref: http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/disaster_haiti

As if Haiti needed more tragedy and hardship...

The news is reporting thousands of collapsed buildings in the capital. Even if Port Au Prince had a vast first world first responder system (it doesn't), that still means that most trapped people will have to free themselves (and by "themselves" I mean self-extrication or being extricated by regular folks). Even in the Kobe earthquake in Japan, most trapped victims were not freed by professional rescuers.

Reminded me of the light search and rescue training we received in the CERT-like class I took last year in my city. However, we didn't learn things like how to use leverage, cribbing, or the best way to get through concrete, etc. Definitely a very tough situation for the Haitians.

It's better to donate directly. If you text a lot of the money is probably siphoned away by the phone company.

That is the absolute truth. Let's keep the victims and responders in our prayers.

Jeff,
If you go you take care of yourself!

Agreed, certainly. Although I've found references to carriers waiving fees for the Red Cross in the past, I don't know if that's the case in this instance. There are also the fees charged by this company which appears to run the program (http://www.mgive.com/Pricing.aspx).

But having said that, I imagine that there are some who live on their cell phones that might not give otherwise.

The American Red Cross actually gives this text "HAITI" advice on their website - http://newsroom.redcross.org/2010/01/12/disaster-alert-earthquake-in-haiti/. So it could be that the fees are waived, I don't know.

If you want to direct yo0ur contribution you can slso give to their International Response Fund, instructions also on the Red
Cross site, or http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main.

CNN is reporting that the Haitian prime minister says the death toll may be several hundred thousand!!! These sorts of numbers often tend to overestimate (just look at the numbers thrown around last summer for H1N1 versus what has happened so far) or even purposely exagerrated for effect, but if reality is anywhere close to that number, that is pretty hard to wrap your brain around.

Just what that poor country needed, an earthquake.

Ten million people, many/most of whom were starving before it happened. The main hospital collapsed, no strong services.

Poor, poor people.

Sue