Damage from Saturday's 7.2 magnitude earthquake is already being seen in some neighborhoods in Haiti.
Photos from Les Cayes, Haiti, show damaged buildings and rubble in the streets.
This is what some of the damage in Les Cayes looks like:
7.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Haiti
By Adrienne Vogt and Veronica Rocha, CNN
Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, August 15, 2021
9 Posts
Sort by
Damage from earthquake seen in Haiti's Les Cayes
Haiti's prime minister is traveling to areas hit hardest by earthquake
From CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is currently en route to the most devastated areas of the country, according to his official Twitter account.
This is the first major humanitarian disaster for Henry since taking office after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7.
He has already mobilized the entire government to assess and help with the situation, he tweeted.
“Following the earthquake that caused enormous damage in the South, Grand'Anse and Nippes, I have already mobilized the entire government team to adopt all necessary measures as a matter of urgency,” the tweet read.
Here's how the 7.2 magnitude earthquake today compares to Haiti's 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010
From CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton
The epicenter of today’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake near Haiti is approximately 60 miles west of the fatal 2010 Haiti earthquake, according to CNN supervising meteorologist Brandon Miller.
The devastating 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti struck on Jan. 12, 2010. The death toll from that quake is estimated at 220,000-300,000 people, with an additional 300,000 injured. One and a half million people were initially displaced, and more than 32,000 remain displaced as of January 2020.
Today’s quake was farther away from the capital of Port-au-Prince and the most populated areas in Haiti.
Initial CNN weather calculations show about 2.5 million people living within 50 miles or so from the epicenter. For comparison, the 2010 quake had roughly 6.5 million people living within 50 miles.
Construction of many buildings in Haiti "just does not hold up to these kind of earthquakes," said CNN's Patrick Oppmann, reporting from Cuba.
"Haiti is just not a country that is set up to respond to this kind of event. They needed a lot of help after the 2010 quake. You suspect that they will need help again. In the middle of a pandemic, that is going to be even more complicated," Oppmann said.
Tsunami threat in Haiti has passed
The tsunami threat from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Haiti region has passed and there is no further tsunami threat, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.
The US Geological Survey estimates "high casualties" and widespread disaster in Haiti following the massive quake.
Have you been affected by the Haiti earthquake? Let us know.
The US Geological Survey is estimating "high casualties" and widespread disaster in Haiti following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake Saturday morning.
Aftershocks could cause more damage after initial quake, CNN meteorologist says
Following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake near Haiti, CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar said aftershocks will be a concern going forward.
A 5.2 magnitude aftershock occurred 17 km (10 miles) from Chantal, Haiti, earlier this morning, according to the US Geological Survey.
Structures are now compromised from the initial quake, Chinchar said, and "more buildings could start to sustain damage even if those aftershocks are not as strong."
The earthquake this morning, which was 10 kilometers deep (6 miles deep), is considered a shallow quake, Chinchar explained.
"The population that felt it, you have over half a million people that felt very strong shaking and five million people that felt moderate shaking, not just in Haiti but some of the surrounding areas. We are likely to see economic losses around this area, mostly dealing with the structures that are there," Chinchar said.
Tropical Storm Grace could impact Haiti region next week
From CNN's Aya Elamroussi and Haley Brink
Tropical Storm Grace could hit the Haiti region from Monday into Tuesday next week.
Grace became the seventh named storm of the season on Saturday. Earlier a tropical depression, Grace strengthened to tropical storm status about 400 miles east of the Leeward Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
On the current forecast track, the center of Grace is expected to move over the Leeward Islands Saturday night, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Sunday and the Dominican Republic on Monday.
Tsunami threat issued after 7.2 magnitude earthquake near Haiti
A tsunami threat was issued in the Haiti region, according to NOAA's US Tsunami Warning System.
Tsunami waves reaching 1 to 3 meters (about 3 to 9 feet) above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Haiti.
The timing on the tsunami waves threat have already happened, according to the most recent US Tsunami warning system alert.
USGS predicts "high casualties" are probable and disaster is likely widespread after earthquake near Haiti
The US Geological Survey is estimating "high casualties" and widespread disaster in Haiti following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake Saturday morning.
“High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” according to the USGS.
Estimated economic losses are 0 to 3% GDP of Haiti, according to the USGS.