Exclusive from World Magazine: As a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, missionary wife Heather Hopp “thought a truck had an accident on the highway and was rolling down the hill towards the house.” The earthquake, with an epicenter just 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince, …caused amounts of damage Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Raymond Alcide Joseph, described as “catastrophic.”

With widespread power outages and confusion, early reports are spotty. But they indicate that at least one hospital in the capital and possibly the presidential palace have collapsed. In the immediate aftermath of the quake, a tsunami watch was put out for Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas, but was later lifted. UN officials told the BBC they could not contact their mission in Haiti but estimated as many as 3 million people could be affected by the quake.

Hopp, and her husband, Ben, a missionary with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, live with their three children about 45 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince. On the couple’s blog Ben wrote, “The earthquake in Haiti about an hour ago did damage places south of us but here we only experience strong tremors. No damage to buildings or property.

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Editor’s Note: Check back during the next few days for updates as more information comes in concerning missionaries in Haiti. This story was used with permission from World Magazine.