Heavy Rain, Flooding, and Chance of Severe Weather Staring Down the Southern U.S.
January 22, 2024
Posted: September 20, 2022 10:52 am
Quake Hits on Anniversary of Two Similar Events in Mexico
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake triggered tsunami warnings for parts of Mexico on Monday afternoon. The quake hit off the southwestern coast of Mexico in Michoacan state. According to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, at least one fatality has been attributed to the natural disaster.
The sliver of good news is that the epicenter of the massive earthquake was centered in the region of Michcoacan state that is not very populated. The coastal town of Colima is located about 100 kilometers from the epicenter. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicates that a quake of this magnitude could cause moderate levels of damage.
The country’s capital of Mexico City is located about 500 kilometers from the epicenter. Residents in this densely populated area reported light to moderate shaking and slight damage to some of the most vulnerable structures. However, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said that there have been no reports of serious damage or casualties.
As an extra precaution, firefighters closed some buildings in Mexico City in the immediate aftermath out of concerns of potential collapse.
Mexico’s Civil Protection Coordinator Laura Velazquez confirmed one fatality in Manzanillo, located in the western state of Colima. The man lost his life when a wall fell on him in a shopping center.
While the earthquake had originally been reported by the USGS as a 7.6-magnitude event, the national seismological agency of Mexico updated the data to reflect that it was a 7.7-magnitude quake.
There were widespread power outages reported in Coalcoman, Michoacan as well as in the Roma area of Mexico City. The national power utility agency said that about 1.2 million users were impacted by the power outages.
Malfunctioning traffic lights created havoc on the streets. Meanwhile, the area’s phone networks were down, causing chaos as people tried to reach loved ones.
The USGS reported that the earthquake had a depth of just over 15 kilometers. In response to the event, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned residents that the waves could hit up to three meters along the Mexican coastline. The first waves have likely already hit the popular coastal locations of Manzanillo and Acapulco. Officials warn that more waves could descend on the resort city of Puerto Vallarta as well.
Smaller tsunami waves are also a possibility along the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru, putting much of the region on alert.
Monday’s earthquake struck on the fifth anniversary of a similar event that killed 216 people in Mexico City. The 2017 earthquake measured a magnitude of 7.1 with an epicenter that was 2.8 miles east-northeast of San Juan Raboso and 34.1 miles south-southwest of the city of Puebla.
One the same day in history in 1985, thousands of people were killed when a quake hit a similar area. It is understandable that residents of Mexico are now nervous when this day approaches.
Residents in Mexico City had participated in an earthquake drill earlier in the day to honor the 5-year anniversary of the 2017 event.
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