Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Chile Earthquake, 02-28-2010
At 0334 hours local time on February 27, 2010, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck near the coast of Maule Region in south-central Chile. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake’s epicenter was located offshore, 70 miles northeast of Concepción city and approximately 200 miles southwest of Santiago, Chile’s capital. The initial earthquake was followed by a tsunami and nearly 100 aftershocks measuring magnitude 5.0 or greater. According to the Government of Chile (GoC), the earthquake affected nearly 2 million people, displaced thousands of individuals from damaged and destroyed houses, and resulted in more than 700 deaths as of February 28. The earthquake also caused major damage to buildings and infrastructure near the epicenter and disrupted communications, electricity, water, and gas services in affected areas, particularly in most-affected Concepción city, parts of metropolitan Santiago, and Chillan and Talca cities. In addition, the post-earthquake tsunami that struck the coastal town of Talcahuano and surrounding areas caused significant damage along parts of coastal Chile and in the Juan Fernández Islands. Immediately following the earthquake and tsunami, the GoC declared six catastrophe zones in Valparaíso, Metropolitana, O’Higgins, Araucanía, BíoBío, and Maule regions.
On February 27, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. Government (USG) stood prepared to assist with earthquake rescue and recovery efforts, pending a request from the GoC for assistance. On February 28, U.S. Ambassador Paul E. Simons issued a disaster declaration in response to the effects of the earthquake. In response, USAID/OFDA provided an initial $50,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Santiago for the provision and transport of emergency relief commodities. On February 27, USAID/OFDA activated a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team to coordinate the USG response, support USAID/OFDA disaster experts in Chile, and facilitate information-sharing and provision of assistance to earthquake-affected individuals. USAID planned to provide further assistance in accordance with the findings of forthcoming GoC and humanitarian assessments in disaster zones, as access to affected populations was expected to increase in the days following the earthquake. In addition, USAID placed urban search-and-rescue (USAR) teams on standby for deployment to affected regions, pending a GoC request for USAR assistance.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses in Chile, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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