Haiti earthquake: 6 things to know about Les Cayes

LES CAYES, Haiti — The city of Les Cayes, which is at the epicenter of the powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked Haiti, has a long, storied and tragic history.

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While Saturday’s earthquake was a natural disaster, with the death toll rising by the hour, the port city in southern Haiti has also experienced some human-made disasters.

The city also was impacted by the 2010 earthquake that devastated the island, most notably in Port-au-Prince, where more than 300,000 people were killed.

>> Haiti earthquake: 304 dead, 1,800 injured after 7.2 magnitude quake hits island

Here are six things to know about Les Cayes:

Name game

Les Cayes is also known as Cayes and Aux Cayes. According to World Population Review, the city has more than 125,000 residents. It is the sister city of Boynton Beach, a city in South Florida located about an hour north of Miami.

Pirates and plagues

Les Cayes was founded in 1786 and was a target for pirates during colonial times. Disease also ran rampant in the island, according to Brittanica.com. In 1815, South American liberator Simón Bolívar visited the port to accept arms from the Haitians. Bolívar also recruited troops to aid him in his fight against Spain.

>> Photos: Haiti rocked by 7.2 earthquake

Big seaport

Les Cayes is the major port of southern Haiti, according to the Miami Herald. The city exports sugar, bananas, coffee, cotton, timber, hides and dyewood, according to Brittanica.com.

The region surrounding Les Cayes is a major exporter of vetiver, an ingredient used in perfumes. The area produces half of the world’s supply, The Guardian reported in 2014.

The plant’s roots contain “essential oil with a mysterious dry fragrance akin to smoked wood, which Haitians call the ‘essence of tranquillity,’ " according to the newspaper.

Hazel and Cleo

In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel swept through Les Cayes and Jeremie, killing many and leaving thousands homeless, according to the United Press. The storm hit the area with 115 mph winds, according to the Miami News.

Ten years later, Hurricane Cleo devastated Les Cayes, killing 124 people and destroying nearly every house in the city. The storm ripped up roads and downed utility poles. The hurricane blew off the roof of a hospital and destroyed sugar and banana crops in the city.

Seventy people were crushed to death in a marketplace when an iron beam collapsed.

Deadly clash

In December 1929, U.S. Marines deployed in Les Cayes battled with 150 demonstrators, killing five and wounded 20. According to United Press, the demonstrators were “repulsed” when the Marines used a machine gun and six automatic rifles. None of the Marines were injured.

Civil unrest

In 2004, The Associated Press reported that after the ouster of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was the country’s first democratically elected president, residents of Les Cayes and other cities were afraid to leave their homes. U.S. troops were stationed on the island, and armed gangs that supported Aristide, known as “chimeres,” attacked the city.

“The person in charge is the person with the biggest gun,” a doctor in the city told the AP.

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