Haiti: Coastal Hazards

The country of Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola. It is adjacent to the Dominican Republic, and as a result is surrounded by water on 3 sides. With a land troubled with natural hazards, it is only natural that Coastal Hazards also pose a threat here as well. Coastal hazards come in many forms, be it tsunamis, storm surges from tropical cyclones, and rip currents or any other strong coastal current. But one issue that poses a threat for Haiti is the rise of relative sea level. Erosion along the coast has influenced the movement of the shoreline, that is already being uplifted by the constant earthquakes the country has experienced. In a story from 2010, after the massive 7.0 earthquake that struck the capital, there were pictures from the drastic difference in relative sea level.  You are able to see the top of one tree that did not go under in reference to the white structure highlighted in yellow. It was believed it was also so dramatic in the fact there might have been some kind of underwater mass wasting that occurred, which is not uncommon during earthquakes. The country is already classified as a high coastal flood hazard zone, and it is easy to see why.

Sources:

Earthquake driven coastal erosion

ThinkHazard - Haiti