Haiti Catastrophic Earthquake Scientists Predicted in 1999 Area Was Overdue for Massive

According to major news reports the island of Haiti has suffered catastrophic damage today due to a massive 7.0 earthquake which struck at 4:53 PM, followed by a series of strong aftershocks. In 1999, a conference was held in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, where research was presented regarding the seismic potential in the Haiti region and where scientists concluded the Haiti region was overdue for a massive catastrophic earthquake which would strike without warning. The following is a summary of the conference and its findings:

In any event, the data show that the plate border dynamics are quite significant and that the two major faults crossing the island, one to the north and the other in the south – which runs the entire Haitian peninsula – are both considered quite dangerous due to the time elapsed since the last major earthquake. The Septentrional fault (the northern system) is comparable to the San Andreas Fault system in California and has not released energy in over 800 years which means that approximately 4 to 8 meters of left lateral slippage has already accumulated and should it be released, could register 8.0 or higher on the Richter Scale (with no forewarning). The soil conditions on the island have evidenced severe liquefaction which is a considerable threat to infrastructure such as dams, bridges and highways and particularly the Artibonito watershed on the Haitian-Dominican border.