On January 12, 2010, a strong earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck close to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Significant aftershocks followed, the strongest with a magnitude of 5.9 on January 20. While the full extent of the damages has not yet been assessed, the earthquake has reportedly caused widespread loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure. Power and telecommunications are severely disrupted.

Canada is taking a leadership role in responding to this crisis. It has provided swift assistance in many forms, including humanitarian aid, search and rescue response, the provision of supplies and equipment as well as Canadian Forces military assets in support of relief efforts.

Earth Observation (EO) satellites are key resources in a variety of disaster management management scenarios. EO data has been used effectively in disaster responses such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, forest fires, and other natural or technological disasters. The ability to deliver data in near-real time is essential for relief operations to map and monitor damage and for assessing the impact on the future.

This satellite product, based on a GeoEye-1 50 centimeters resolution image of January 13th 2010, shows multiple affected infrastructures in the Port-au-Prince region.

This disaster management product was developed by the Canadian company VIASAT GeoTechnologies, with the support of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Earth Observation Applications and Utilizations (EOAU) Division