Haiti Update

Haiti's Prime Minister has put the death toll of yesterday's quake at "well over a hundred thousand."  To be honest, it's probably a lot more.

President Obama's remarks, in part:

We are just now beginning to learn the extent of the devastation, but the reports and images that we've seen of collapsed hospitals, crumbled homes, and men and women carrying their injured neighbors through the streets are truly heart-wrenching. Indeed, for a country and a people who are no strangers to hardship and suffering, this tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with the many Haitian Americans around our country who do not yet know the fate of their families and loved ones back home. I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives.

The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble, and to deliver the humanitarian relief -- the food, water and medicine -- that Haitians will need in the coming days. In that effort, our government, especially USAID and the Departments of State and Defense are working closely together and with our partners in Haiti, the region, and around the world.

"Cruel and incomprehensible" does seem to cover it quite effectively.

TPM is doing an outstanding job of collecting and collating all the info out of Haiti today.

[UPDATE 1:22 PM]  Because of the complete lack of infrastructure on the island at this point, we are seeing estimates of a total casualty number somewhere between 200,000 and a much as a half a million. There's just no way to reach survivors in time, and we're looking at a worst-case scenario here where relief aid just can't get to people who need it, and Haiti's government has no infrastructure in place to handle a disaster this huge.  Katrina was a drop in the bucket compared to this, and America has agencies and the ability to handle something like that (although we're still struggling with that today.)

Imagine Katrina, only an order of magnitude worse.  In January.

The Daily Beast has compiled a list of ways you can help.  The scope of this is overwhelming.