Reply #11: Haiti is just a place without any infrastructure to speak of... [View All]

[hayu_lol]

Their single runway is designed(maybe too loose a word)for the older and more decrepit twin engine transports that haul freight and people around the Caribbean. Certainly neither the runway or the parking aprons located around it are capable of supporting the weight of heavily-loaded 4 engine transports.

Relief efforts cannot be effective for probably at least a week. There are few facilities to quickly unload what transports have already landed. Should be a screaming need for forklifts just for starters. Otherwise a human chain type of unloading(timeconsuming) will have to suffice.

Neither the government of Haiti nor the people will be of much use. Roads, such as they were, are probably pretty worthless at this time to transport goods away from the terminal. As I understand it, the port has silted up(over time)and no one has had the money to have the port dredged for heavy, deep water, ships. As a result, relief ships will have to anchor far offshore with whatever cargoes they carry barged to shore in small boats and barges. Like the planes, the boats will need fuel to get the job done.

The death toll(not even mentioning the injured)will probably double or even triple within a couple of weeks. It will take at least that long to get the movement of relief goods to the people flowing.

Dunno what the immunization status of the Haitian population. Typhoid, Tetanus, diphtheria are all killers just waiting to pounce. There are others. Highly stressed people also have other conditions that will affect them medically.

Basically, these folks will not really have help for a while. Nothing can be done to speed up the process of getting people and goods on the ground where they are needed.

Noted one thread today here on pet groups organizing to go over to save the animals. Animals, including some people, will be part of the food groups.

Essentially, not much can be done immediately. Relief efforts are in process and thats about the best we can expect. Air drops could be useful for isolated groups of people. There are crews trained for heavy drop missions on the C-130s.

If the C-130s are staged out of Florida, depending on total weight, should be able to fly to Haiti and return without refueling. Again, the initial planes in should all be carrying forklifts.