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Though it was a much larger earthquake than the one that struck Haiti earlier this year, far fewer people were killed in Chile early Saturday morning.  After the 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Chile, seven hundred were killed. In Haiti, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, more than 230,000 were killed.

One reason for the discrepancy is better enforced building codes. Another reason is wealth.

Unlike Haiti, Chile is one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America. After a 9.5 magnitude earthquake killed 5,000 people in 1960, the country imposed strict building material quality rules and even identified weak points beneath the soil under its major cities. Though help is still flowing into Haiti to rebuild its infrastructure, it will be many more years and many millions of dollars before the country can achieve building codes like Chile’s.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but the American Society of Civil Engineers says that 26 percent of our country’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. In addition, the ASCE estimates there is a $17 billion shortfall in maintenance spending every year for bridges.

What gives America? Small steps are being taken at a state level, like a recent announcement by the Oregon state Department of Geology and Mineral Industries that 13 schools and 11 emergency management facilities will be retrofitted to withstand earthquakes. But according to the same agency, thousands of such buildings are at risk of collapse during an earthquake statewide.

I really hope it doesn’t take a quake like Chile’s or Haiti’s for city, state and federal governments here in the U.S. to invest the money to make un-reinforced concrete in buildings a thing of the past.

If there are any engineers, architects or builders planning to offer aid in Chile, please leave a comment here with your contact information.