2010 Haiti Earthquake

The 2010 Haiti earthquake (magnitude 7.0) killed 160,000 to 316,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country. Its devastating toll stemmed from extreme poverty: no earthquake-resistant buildings, no emergency systems, and political dysfunction delaying aid. More than ten years later, most displaced Haitians still lacked permanent housing. The reconstruction cost exceeded $13 billion, making it more expensive than the Tangshan Earthquake (1976) in absolute terms, despite its lower magnitude. The quake's 0.4 g ground acceleration was lower than the 0.6 g recorded for the 1556 Shaanxi Earthquake, but poverty amplified its impact.