Does anyone here in the US understand what a 7.0 followed by 30 or more aftershocks is even like?
Hell yes I do. I was in San Francisco when the quake of 89 hit. Where were you??
As far away as I could get.
The quake in SF was a 7.0 yes, but it last 10-15 seconds. It wasn't followed by 30 or more aftershocks in the 3.0 - 5.0+ range.
It killed 60+ people and injured around 4000.
It was minor in comparison to the deaths in Haiti.
PLUS, there was help on the way, and people KNEW help was on the way from the whole nation.
I don't think the two situations really compare.