Before: Port a Piment, Haiti is pictured in a satellite image made in 2013. ©DigitalGlobe 2016
The force of hurricane Matthew left destruction and damage in Haiti that is unimaginable. Already a nation that has experienced more than its fair share of hardships, this latest incident is difficult to comprehend in its magnitude. This is where DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 satellite provided Earth imaging—a peek without interfering with the recovery efforts.
Keep in mind the poverty and those that had been surviving in flimsy 'homes'—shelters made with little more than three sides and a metal roof. Add to that those that have lean-tos, that make the side of a mountain one of the walls of their homes. Of course when the water came it triggered entire walls of mud that slithered down smothering those in its way causing death and destruction.
As of Monday night, the official death toll in Haiti is 336. However, reports suggest that the real number could be higher as some areas are still cut off without communication.
Newly released satellite images from DigitalGlobe, taken on October 9, show scenes of destruction on the western side of Haiti's southern peninsula, provide a new perspective of the destruction that Hurricane Matthew brought to Haiti last week.
DigitalGlobe operates an advanced constellation of commercial imaging satellites, which provide a unique vantage point of the Earth and enable decisions to be made with confidence.
After: On October 9, 2016 Port a Piment, Haiti after the area was struck by Hurricane Matthew. ©DigitalGlobe 2016
The photo series details the scale of the destruction—including roofs ripped from buildings, structures destroyed and trees blown or swept away by water. The “after” images, captured by DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 satellite on October 9, 2016, show six Haitian towns along the western side of Haiti’s southern peninsula (Les Anglais, Port-à-Piment, Les Cayes, Chardonnieres, Coteau, and Jeremie).