Nature: Natural Disasters 1

– The 2010 Haiti Earthquake –

“The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a catastrophic event with a magnitude of 7.0, is considered one of the deadliest in history. Its epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 kilometres west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. On January 12th, at 4:53 pm local time, the ground shook violently, reducing numerous buildings to rubble in mere seconds.

The earthquake’s aftermath was disastrous. Estimates suggest that the death toll ranged from 100,000 to 160,000 people. Over a million Haitians were left homeless, and many historical structures, including the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly building, were severely damaged or destroyed.

International response was swift, with many countries and organizations offering assistance. Despite the extensive relief efforts, reconstruction proved slow due to the country’s lack of infrastructure and resources.

This tragic event highlighted the devastating impact of natural disasters on developing countries and the importance of establishing effective disaster management systems. Haiti’s experience in 2010 underlines the need for proactive measures and infrastructure resilience to safeguard lives and properties in the face of natural disasters.”

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO words from the text for each answer.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti was a __________ event with a magnitude of 7.0.
The __________ was near the town of Léogâne, around 25 kilometres west of the capital.
The earthquake resulted in many buildings being reduced to __________ in seconds.
Over a million Haitians were left __________ as a result of the earthquake.
Many countries and organizations offered __________ following the disaster.
The event underscored the importance of establishing effective disaster __________ systems.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE word from the text for each answer.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, registering a magnitude of 7.0, is regarded as one of the most __________ 1 disasters in history. The earthquake’s __________ 2, located close to Léogâne, resulted in widespread devastation, with many buildings being swiftly reduced to __________ 3. The catastrophe left over a million people __________ 4, and resulted in considerable damage to many historical structures. The international community quickly offered __________ 5, but the reconstruction process was sluggish due to lack of local resources and infrastructure. The tragedy emphasized the necessity for robust disaster __________ 6 strategies, particularly in developing countries.

Vocabulary Builder

Find the synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) to these 9 words from the original passage.

Original word	Variants used
Catastrophic	_________
Epicenter	_________
Violently	_________
Rubble	_________
Aftermath	_________
Homeless	_________
Damaged	_________
Assistance	_________
Systems	_________

Reveal answer (4 More Words)

Original word	Variants used
Catastrophic	Disastrous
Epicenter	Center
Violently	Swiftly
Rubble	Ruins
Aftermath	Following
Homeless	Without homes
Damaged	Devastation
Assistance	Aid
Systems	Strategies