Recent earthquakes have Caribbean residents running scared
The world watches as tragedies unfold in the Caribbean
The recent Haiti earthquake that ravaged Port-Au-Prince shook the lives of hundreds of thousands of people to their very foundation. The world has reached out with aid, from food to supplies to simply cash advance distributions for aid groups. However, the lack of homes and the nightmare of delivering aid using an annihilated infrastructure make Haiti a scene that nightmares are made of. The Caribbean has been rocked by another earthquake, this time in the Cayman Islands. Fortunately, this was only a 5.8 and there haven’t been any damage or injuries reported as yet. It originated about 30 miles southwest of the Cayman Islands, from the Oriente Fracture Zone along the Cayman Trough.
Incidentally, the Cayman Islands experienced a 6.8 earthquake right after Hurricane Ivan landed in December of 2004. Even then, only minor structural damage was reported.
Buildings and homes shook while people held their breath
The Washington Post indicates that minor earthquakes are common in the Cayman Islands region, the aftermath of the Haitian disaster weighed heavily on the minds of residents.
“The whole building was rocking,” said Junior Elliott, who was delivering water to a four-story office in the George Town capital when the 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit at 9:23 a.m. Elevators were shut down, and building occupants fled via stairwell. Reports indicate evacuation plans took place in an orderly fashion and emergency services weren’t needed.
Some phone service was out for a short time
But overall, the impact of the Cayman Islands earthquake was much less than the Haiti earthquake. Aside from the difference in severity, one reason for this is that Cayman building codes require homes and commercial structures to be able to withstand both hurricanes and earthquakes. Such regulations are likely possible because the overall economy of the Cayman Islands is superior to that of Haiti. The average income of $ 42,000 grants Caymanians the highest standard of living of all peoples of the Caribbean region. Incidentally, that amount is higher than those of the average cash advance customer in America – although not by as much as you’d think.
