2010 Haiti earthquake

The heavily damaged National Palace after the earthquake.
Date	{{{date}}}
Magnitude	7.0 Mw (USGS) 7.3 Mw (EMSC)
Depth	13 km (8.1 mi)
Epicenter location	18°28′N 72°32′W / 18.46°N 72.53°W / 18.46; -72.53Coordinates: 18°28′N 72°32′W / 18.46°N 72.53°W / 18.46; -72.53
Countries or regions affected	Haiti, Dominican Republic
Max. intensity	IX (Violent)
Tsunami	Yes (localized)
Casualties	100,000 to 316,000 deaths (the higher figure is from a government estimate widely charged with being deliberately inflated; a figure of about 160,000 is provided in a 2010 University of Michigan study; the 100,000 figure is suggested by the U.S. Geological Survey.)

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a very strong earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. On the scientific scale that measures the magnitude (or strength) of an earthquake, the quake scored a magnitude of 7.3 M_w. The center of the earthquake was near Léogâne, very close to Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city of Haiti. It was only about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west. The earthquake hit in the afternoon, at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC). Haiti already was the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and was not able to take care of all the people that needed help. It is the one of the deadliest earthquakes in the world.