An eye in the sky could be used to interdict drugs, size up needs in disaster relief, ensure port security, check power lines and fuel pipelines, fight forest fires and count wildlife, Brown said.

FORBES: This Solar-Powered Drone Will Watch You All Day

But much of the growing international relief effort has been focused on Port-au-Prince until now.

CNN: O'Brien: Haiti's cultural core suffers, too

Frank Williams, the Haitian director of the relief agency World Vision International, said the quake left people "pretty much screaming" all around Port-au-Prince.

CNN: 7.0 quake hits Haiti; 'Serious loss of life' expected