Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhessd-1-1913-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhessd-1-1913-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
15 May 2013
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal NHESS. A revision for further review has not been submitted.
Uncovering the 2010 Haiti earthquake death toll
Abstract. Casualties are estimated for the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti using various reports calibrated by observed building damage states from satellite imagery and reconnaissance reports on the ground. By investigating various damage reports, casualty estimates and burial figures, for a one year period from 12 January 2010 until 12 January 2011, there is also strong evidence that the official government figures of 316 000 total dead and missing, reported to have been caused by the earthquake, are significantly overestimated. The authors have examined damage and casualties report to arrive at their estimation that the median death toll is less than half of this value (±137 000$). The authors show through a study of historical earthquake death tolls, that overestimates of earthquake death tolls occur in many cases, and is not unique to Haiti. As death toll is one of the key elements for determining the amount of aid and reconstruction funds that will be mobilized, scientific means to estimate death tolls should be applied. Studies of international aid in recent natural disasters reveal that large distributions of aid which do not match the respective needs may cause oversupply of help, aggravate corruption and social disruption rather than reduce them, and lead to distrust within the donor community.
How to cite. Daniell, J. E., Khazai, B., and Wenzel, F.: Uncovering the 2010 Haiti earthquake death toll, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 1, 1913–1942, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhessd-1-1913-2013, 2013.
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Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
- Printer-friendly version
- Supplement
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RC C294: 'Review of "Uncovering the 2010 Haiti earthquake death toll", by J. E. Daniell, B. Khazai, and F. Wenzel; Reviewed by D. J. Wald', David Wald, 06 Jun 2013
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AC C1198: 'Reply to C294 Comments', James Daniell, 15 Sep 2013
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AC C1198: 'Reply to C294 Comments', James Daniell, 15 Sep 2013
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SC C390: 'References', David Lallemant, 27 Jun 2013
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AC C1202: 'Response to C390 Comments', James Daniell, 16 Sep 2013
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AC C1202: 'Response to C390 Comments', James Daniell, 16 Sep 2013
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RC C574: 'Review of Daniell et al. (2013)', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Jul 2013
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AC C1228: 'Response to Reviewer comments with respect to “Uncovering the Haiti Earthquake Death Toll” (C574)', James Daniell, 24 Sep 2013
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AC C1228: 'Response to Reviewer comments with respect to “Uncovering the Haiti Earthquake Death Toll” (C574)', James Daniell, 24 Sep 2013
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EC C807: 'Two reviews now received', Bruce D. Malamud, 11 Aug 2013
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
- Printer-friendly version
- Supplement
-
RC C294: 'Review of "Uncovering the 2010 Haiti earthquake death toll", by J. E. Daniell, B. Khazai, and F. Wenzel; Reviewed by D. J. Wald', David Wald, 06 Jun 2013
-
AC C1198: 'Reply to C294 Comments', James Daniell, 15 Sep 2013
-
AC C1198: 'Reply to C294 Comments', James Daniell, 15 Sep 2013
-
SC C390: 'References', David Lallemant, 27 Jun 2013
-
AC C1202: 'Response to C390 Comments', James Daniell, 16 Sep 2013
-
AC C1202: 'Response to C390 Comments', James Daniell, 16 Sep 2013
-
RC C574: 'Review of Daniell et al. (2013)', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Jul 2013
-
AC C1228: 'Response to Reviewer comments with respect to “Uncovering the Haiti Earthquake Death Toll” (C574)', James Daniell, 24 Sep 2013
-
AC C1228: 'Response to Reviewer comments with respect to “Uncovering the Haiti Earthquake Death Toll” (C574)', James Daniell, 24 Sep 2013
-
EC C807: 'Two reviews now received', Bruce D. Malamud, 11 Aug 2013
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Cited
11 citations as recorded by crossref.
- “I Will Show You My Faith by My Works”: Addressing the Nexus between Philosophical Theodicy and Human Suffering and Loss in Contexts of ‘Natural’ Disaster R. Philip Abbott 10.3390/rel10030213
- A Socio-Seismology Experiment in Haiti E. Calais et al. 10.3389/feart.2020.542654
- Application and prospect of a high-resolution remote sensing and geo-information system in estimating earthquake casualties T. Feng et al. 10.5194/nhess-14-2165-2014
- Seeing through the clouds: Processes and challenges for sharing geospatial data for disaster management in Haiti N. Clark & F. Guiffault 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.02.019
- A framework to assess quality and uncertainty in disaster loss data X. Romão & E. Paupério 10.1007/s11069-016-2364-3
- Two halves make a whole: Both first responders and experts are needed for the management and identification of the dead in large disasters S. Cordner & S. Ellingham 10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.07.020
- A Comparison of the Medium-term Impact and Recovery of the Pakistan Floods and the Haiti Earthquake: Objective and Subjective Measures W. Weiss et al. 10.1017/S1049023X14000466
- Setting structural safety requirement for controlling earthquake mortality risk H. Tsang & F. Wenzel 10.1016/j.ssci.2016.02.028
- Moving Towards Universal Health Coverage in Haiti K. Hashimoto et al. 10.1080/23288604.2020.1719339
- PDC-BuilD framework: Assessing building damage probability for pyroclastic currents of a small-size explosive eruption at Campi Flegrei (Southern Italy) I. Alberico et al. 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101541
- Natural Disasters and Weak Government Institutions: Creating a Vicious Cycle that Ensnares Developing Countries K. Mahadevia Ghimire 10.1515/ldr-2020-0014
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J. E. Daniell
General Sir John Monash Scholar, The General Sir John Monash Foundation, Level 5, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) and Geophysical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hertzstrasse 16, 76187, Karlsruhe, Germany
B. Khazai
Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) and Geophysical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hertzstrasse 16, 76187, Karlsruhe, Germany
F. Wenzel
Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) and Geophysical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hertzstrasse 16, 76187, Karlsruhe, Germany