Tag Archives: Mexico

Mexico Strong Earthquake

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Strong earthquake 122 km from Mexico City (DF) Mexico – only very minor damage reported so far

Last update: June 16, 2013 at 9:36 am by By

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.8

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-06-16 00:19:03

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-06-16 05:19:03

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 54 km

Damage overview so far at 09:35 UTC :
– Landslide in Tetipac -Taxco road, the road is closed and alternate routes are being used.
– Landslide in Iguala-Chilpancingo road.
– Landslide in Iguala-Cuernavaca road.
– In Morelos another landlide caused material damage in 10 homes without causing injuries.
– In the city of Jiutepec, Morelos 2 walls collapsed.
– The roof of a shopping mall called “Plaza Galerias” in Morelos was damaged.
– In Taxco the facade of the church Santa Prisca was damaged.
– Plastic ceiling felled in the municipal building “Sentimientos de la Nación” in Chilpancingo.
– In Iguala debris from 2 homes caused damage.

Update 09:15 UTC :
– A church was damaged in Taxco (Guerrero)
– 2 landslides are being reported by the Mexico quake, the first one in Mexico-Acapulco highway and the second one in the km 41 from Ixtla – Igualaen
– several cars crashed in the Puebla-Mexico highway due to the quake
– 2 images (courtesy and copyright eluniversal.com.mx/) showing some minor damage and people in the street not exactly knowing what happened and how serious it is.

Screen Shot 2013-06-16 at 11.26.11

Image courtesy and copyright : eluniversal.com.mx

Update 08:21 UTC : Image of the seismograph at Cayaco. it shows at least no powerful aftershocks, the ones people are feeling must be minor. Cayaco is near Acapulco at the coast.

Screen Shot 2013-06-16 at 10.17.20

Update 08:09 UTC : People in Mexico are mentioning feeling aftershocks

Update 07:54 UTC : Even at this late hour (after midnight in Mexico) we see still a lot of readers from Mexico reading our pages. Let’s call it a “lucky escape” earlier today. A little closer to the capital and 30 km shallower would have given a lot darker picture. A lesson to extract : BE PREPARED at all times. Earthquakes will strike from virtually nothing (we are at the pulse of earthquakes and know what we are talking about :) )

Update 07:03 UTC : Something went wrong with the Mexico Fast Alert system. It sounded only 15 minutes ago which is of course a long time after the earthquake.  It scared people but luckily nothing happened.  Fast Earthquake Alerts are of virtually NO use at all if the epicenter is close to the people using in them, in this case Mexico City.

Update 06:34 UTC : 2 walls collapsed in Cuernavaca, the landslide was very little one and the road has been cleaned.

Update 06:29 UTC : No damage to dams, the nuclear energy facility or government buildings.

Update 06:20 UTC : The Focal Mechanism of this earthquake shows 2 parts of a fault pulling out of each other (Normal faulting)

Image courtesy Jasha Polet @CPPgeophysics

Image courtesy Jasha Polet @CPPgeophysics

Update 06:12 UTC : SSN Mexico, the local seismological service reports now a Magnitude of M5.8 at a depth of 46 km. These are fairly good numbers. In other words this confirms the intermediate depth (weakening the shaking) and a decrease in Magnitude vs the earlier values (M6.0).

Update 06:09 UTC : It will be up to scientists to look for a relation in between the earlier Nicaragua earthquake and this Mexico earthquake.

Update 06:06 UTC : USGS pager gives a maximum MMI V shaking (moderate shaking). Let’s hope they are right. They do not expect any serious damage or injuries. The numbers are however striking. No less than 33 million people will have felt a light shaking. 542000 people a moderate shaking. At ER we use MMI VI as a minimum to generate serious damage. But data are still preliminary.

Screen Shot 2013-06-16 at 08.03.22

Update 06:03 UTC : A lot of people evacuated bars, restaurants, etc when the earthquake happened but everything seems back to normal

Update 06:01 UTC : Our servers could not follow the traffic on the site and went down for at least 20 minutes, we apologize for that.

Update 06:01 UTC : One of our readers wrote that he had plaster coming from the wall

Update 05:59 UTC : a lot of police cars checking the city, also there are helicopters checking for damage

Update 05:57 UTC : Damage cannot be excluded. Mexico City is a soft soil environment (old lake). The depth of the earthquake is currently at 53 km which should be weakening the shaking.

A strong earthquake struck in the greater Mexico City area. Power was off for some time butt came back gradually after a number of minutes.

Screen Shot 2013-06-16 at 07.54.51

22km (14mi) W of Jolalpan, Mexico

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/06/16/strong-earthquake-guerrero-mexico-on-june-16-2013/

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Earthquake

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Moderate shallow earthquake surprises tourists in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Last update: June 15, 2013 at 2:07 pm by By

Unlike Mexicans, who are more or less used to earthquakes, a lot of tourists staying in the many resorts of Puerto Vallarta were waken up by the shaking of a nearby shallow earthquake.
Even to our own surprise, only the Mexican seismological service SSN reported about this event.

Screen Shot 2013-06-15 at 16.03.26

24 km South-West of Las Varas, Nay

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.2

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-06-15 01:23:53

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-06-15 07:23:53

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/06/15/moderate-earthquake-puerto-vallarta-mexico-on-june-15-2013/

Volcanic Activity – Mexico/Texas Border

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5/19/2013 — Mexico Plume near dormant Volcano very close to Texas border

Late afternoon, going into sunset , May 18, 2013 (100UTC May 19, 2013) … several plumes appeared in central west Mexico — quickly followed by large prominent columns (steam or smoke?) produced near the Texas border.

Location .. somewhere very close to:

29°12’52.46″N , 102° 1’15.06″W

If you look at the area on Google earth, you will quickly come to see

1) It is a desert

2) There are several very old (dormant) volcanoes at this location

plumes volcano may 19 2013

from:   http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

 

 

Explosions @ Popocatepetl Volcano

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Explosions and Earthquakes Still Rocking Mexico’s Popocatépetl

An explosion at Mexico’s Popocatépetl taken from the Tlamacas webcam on May 15, 2013. Image: CENAPRED.

The high alert at Mexico’s Popocatépetl remains in place as the restless Mexican volcano still shows signs that new magma is at the surface, meaning a larger explosion could occur if pressures builds under the summit crater. Over the last day, the volcano has produced 22 separate explosions (see above) or “exhalations” of ash, as they are refered. The latest CENAPRED update from today (May 16) says that the explosive strombolian activity at the summit has continued, with blocks of volcanic tephra and ash being thrown up to 400 meters from the vent. Ash has been reported falling occasionally in cities all around the volcano as well. Combine that with near constant seismicity and ash emissions reaching up to 3.5 km (11,500 feet) that wax and wane, and we have a very active volcano. CENAPRED has left Popocatépetl at alert level Yellow Phase 3 and officials are making plans for evacuations and shelters if the eruption gets worse. The current 12 kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano also remains in place.

 

Now, it wouldn’t be a volcanic crisis without the usual “the locals don’t care if the volcano is active” articles — and sure enough, here it is. You can see the formula for these articles: a volcano is restless and officials are worry, but local residents near volcano X are plucky/fearless/dumb. Geologists say “danger” but local residents have something colorful to say about how they don’t care, usually with a folksy attitude/idea of why it erupts. Now, I know there is a whole cottage industry in the media for these “people” stories, but I do wonder if they really sell the local communities short. Sure, stick a reporter’s microphone in your face that everything is normal and you won’t leave. Yes, there are very real issues with theft and looting during evacuations (as this article points out) — something we’ve seen before at other volcanic crises. However, when it comes down to an actual large eruption, attitudes change quickly as your  and your families’ lives are threatened by the erupting volcano. Then again, we could be looking at fine journalism that uses public opinion to speculate on if a major eruption will occur (sigh) and whether folks think this is an actual emergency.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/05/explosions-and-earthquakes-still-rocking-mexicos-popocatepetl/#more-158478

Southern California Earthquakes Continue

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Powerful earthquake swarm in Southern California / Mexico border – Minor damage + shaking video

Last update: August 27, 2012 at 12:32 am by By

Update 00:32 UTC :
– New M4.7 aftershock, one more of an impressive number of aftershocks
– Some trailers are simply being knocked off from their foundations
– The number of earthquakes recorded in the Imperial area must run into the hundreds (including the less than M2.5 earthquakes)

Click on the image for the normal size

Update 22:17 UTC :
– Minor damage is being reported in Brawley. No houses have collapsed and we do not expect to find such damage, however some structural damage has been reported in a number of buildings. Click on the Thumbnail to watch the image in the local Imperial Valley Press

Update 22:06 UTC
– Power has been restored in some Brawley areas but not yet everywhere.
– The earthquakes were also registered on the seismographs in Los Angeles. ABC7 network has a live Quake cam on the Internet. Click here to watch it Live

Update 21:46 UTC
– The last comparable seismic swarm in Brawley dates from 1970. Another one occurred in the 1930′s
– Some buildings in Brawley were evacuated after the first stronger quakes. People will probably stay outside for a while which is good in case other even stronger quakes would strike.
– The Brawley zone is a complex seismic area of smaller faults. The San Andreas main Fault runs from near Palm Springs to enter Mexico just west of Yuma.

The video below shows the strong shaking in Brawley, California. A family is enjoying sitting together in the living room when suddenly the shaking starts (after 25 seconds)

Update 21:38 UTC
– Damage assessments are currently being executed in the Brawley area.
– Imperial County has begun operating a “County Emergency Headquarters”
– Brawley has a population of 24,953 (latest census), not a small village. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Year-round agriculture is an important economic activity in Brawley.
– Brawley has also a Geothermal power plan

Update 21:26 UTC
– Based on the reports we receive from our readers, the shaking seems to have lasted only a few seconds. Short shaking is seldom damaging. The longer the shaking is lasting the more chance on damages.
– 17 aftershocks in between M2.5 and M4.3 in only 26 minutes

Shaking map of the latest M5.4 earthquake at 21:57 UTC

Update 21:16 UTC
– The last strong earthquake has currently been labeled M5.4 at a shallow depth of 8.9 km. Epicenter 5 km North of Brawley
– Intensities of MMI IV to VI are reported in the epicenter area

Update 21:10 UTC
– There are scattered power outages in the Brawley area and out at Naval Air Facility El Centro, said Marion Champion, spokeswoman for the Imperial Irrigation District. More than 1,000 customers were out of power temporarily. Crews are out checking for damage.
– Pioneers Memorial Hospital has been evacuated, and patient have been moved to the wound care center.  Though there has not been reports of major damage at the hospital, patients had asked to be evacuated because they were scared. Glass had been broken inside the hospital.
(messages courtesy Imperial Valley press)

Important Update 21:03 UTC
A new strong M5.4 earthquake (preliminary value) had happened a few minutes ago
– The National Weather Service reports a preliminary Magnitude of M5.6!
– Epicenter a few km NNW of Brawley

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/08/26/powerful-earthquake-swarm-in-southern-california-mexico-border/

Hurricane Carlotta Targetting Mexico

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Hurricane Carlotta bears down on Mexico’s Pacific coast
Posted by: JeffMasters, 4:10 PM GMT on June 15, 2012 +32
Hurricane Carlotta has steadily intensified today as it heads northwest towards the Mexican coast east of Acapulco. Recent satellite loops show a well-organized storm with a prominent eye, solid eyewall with cold cloud-tops, and good low-level spiral banding. Carlotta may be undergoing rapid intensification, thanks to favorable sea surface temperatures near 30°C (86°F) and moderate wind shear of 10 – 20 knots. A hurricane hunter mission is en-route, and will arrive at the storm near 2pm EDT on Friday to see how strong Carlotta has become. Carlotta’s rain bands have already moved over the coast of Mexico a few hundred miles east of Acapulco, as seen on Puerto Ánoel radar.


Figure 1. Morning satellite image of Carlotta.


Figure 2. Morning radar image of Carlotta from the Puerto Ánoel radar.

Forecast for Carlotta
Carlotta is likely to continue to strengthen as it approaches the western coast of Mexico east of Acapulco. As a large portion of the hurricane’s circulation moves over the mountains of Mexico on Saturday morning, steady weakening should occur. Heavy rains from Carlotta will be the storm’s main threat, and these rains will steadily progress westwards along the coast, arriving at Acapulco by Saturday morning. With rainfall amounts of 6 – 10 inches possible along the track of Carlotta, the potential for dangerous flash flooding and mudslide will be a concern all along the coast affected by Carlotta.

The Atlantic is quiet
There are no threat areas to discuss in the Atlantic today. The GFS model is predicting that some of the moisture and energy from Carlotta could move into the Gulf of Mexico next week and form a tropical disturbance capable of becoming a tropical depression, but this solution is unlikely.

Jeff Masters

from:    http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2121

Mexico’s Popocatepeti Volcano Rumbling

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Alert Status Raised at Mexico’s Popocatépetl

 

Three webcam views of Popocatépetl as seen on April 16, 2012. Images courtesy of Eruptions reader Kirby.

 

I mentioned yesterday that Mexico’s famous Popocatépetl experienced one of its largest explosions in years, covering some 30 communities with ash up to 7 cm thick (but highly dependent on wind direction, so that value has a wide range from dusting to the maximum 7 cm). Combine that with continued elevated seismicity and a healthy steam-and-ash plume from the volcano (see above), and CENAPRED has raised the alert status at Popo to Yellow Phase 3, the third highest threat level (of 7). Overnight on April 16th, the volcano was throwing incandescent material over 300 meter above the crater and it has produced at least 14 small steam-and-ash plumes over the last day or so, some reaching as high as ~1 km / ~3,200 feet. The raised alert level means that local authorities are preparing for potential evacuations if the volcano has a major eruption – the last time major evacuations were needed, in 2000, over 50,000 people had to leave their homes. An eruption will also likely cause significant air traffic issues in/around Mexico City, so authorities need to be prepared for this as well.

The major hazards from Popo are going to be ash fall on the area around the volcano, lahars generated by mixing water and volcanic debris (Popo does have several summit glaciers) and even the potential for pyroclastic flows, although they have been relatively rare in the recent (last few hundred years) at Popocatepetl. You can get a sense of the area that could be effected by a new eruption of Popo fromthis map prepared by volcanologists at University of Buffalo.

When conditions are good, you can get a view of Popocatépetl from webcams near the volcano, so keep your eyes open for continued activity.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/category/eruptions/

Guerrero, Mexico Strong Aftershock

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Very strong dangerous earthquake / aftershock in Guerrero, Mexico – severe shaking for 17,000 people

Last update: April 2, 2012 at 8:33 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 6.3
UTC Time : Monday, April 02, 2012 at 17:36:43 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, April 02, 2012 at 12:36:43 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 12 km
Geo-location(s) :
27 km (17 miles) SSE (148°) from Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico

Update 20:28 UTC :  The authorities in Puebla, one of the major Mexican cities and approx. 250 km from the epicenter,  have reported NO injures or damage. Good news which we expected at this distance.
Earthquake-report.com calls an area with a radius of about 35 km around the epicenter at high risk for additional damage (to the already damaged houses during the March 20 mainshock).

Update 19:44 UTC :  USGS has increased his intensity mapping prediction. The new estimate mention 17,000 people having felt a severe MMI VIII shaking (damaging environment), 180,000 people a VII MMI very strong shaking.
The new values are bad news and will make this aftershock almost certain a damaging one.
Until now we have No details yet on damage and injuries. As said earlier it will take another 2 to 6 hours to have see first serious assessments of the epicenter area

Update 19:42 UTC :  Intensity report in the most important cities in the greater epicenter area :
VII    Cuajinicuilapa    9,000 people
VII    San Juan Cacahuatepec    4,000  people
VII    Ometepec    18,000  people
VII    San Pedro Amuzgos    4,000  people
VI    San Pedro Jicayan    4,000  people
VI    Santiago Pinotepa Nacional    26,000  people
MMI VII : very strong shaking
MMI VI : strong shaking

Update 19:16 UTC :  Mexican authorities are reporting the strongest shaking in the Costa Chica region. Until now, we have no reports of damage, but we are almost sure that they will appear in 4 to 8 hours.

Update 18:38 UTC :  Helicopters were dispatched 5 MINUTES after the earthquake. The only damage seen was a billboard that fall causing NO injuries. (we are confirming the very swift reaction of the authorities in DF)

Update :  The Mexican seismological agency has increased his initial Magnitude to 6.0. Since the mainshock today, 2 aftershocks of resp. 4.6 and 4.7 have been listed (normal)

Update :  Read also the many felt reports at the bottom of this page

Update 18:29 UTC :  Last time, damage was only reported after several hours or even a couple of days in the epicenter area (one of the poorest areas in Mexico). Most houses are made from brick or in adobe in the greater epicenter area.

Update:
– Security secretary of Mexico City reports that there is NO damage.
– Communications are still working.
– Subway is still working.
Such reports are mostly based on the capital Mexico City or DF.

Update :  Intermediate report from Carlos Robles : Servicio Sismologico Nacional is upgrading the earthquake to 6.0. Saldo blanco (no deaths) is reported. There aren’t reports of damage.

Update 18:23 UTC :  There are NO Nuclear plants or Hydrodams in the greater epicenter area

Update :  EMSC (Seismology Europe) reports now a magnitude of 6.1 at a depth of 10 km

Update 18:18 UTC :  NO tsunami danger as the epicenter of the earthquake is below the Mexican mainland

Update :  Evacuation were held at Mexico city.It was felt strong in some parts of Mexico city.In Coyoacan there are only reports of scared people. (source : Carlos Robles)

I Have Felt It map courtesy USGS – blue lighter, yellow strong shaking

Update : USGS predicts a very strong shaking for 3,000 people in the epicentral area. 164,000 people will have experienced a strong MMI VI shaking and 289,000 people a moderate shaking. As this earthquake is also felt in DF,  the earthquake will have been noticed by millions of people.

Update : As this is an aftershock from the March 20 M 7.4 earthquake,  these aftershocks, even at the current magnitude are very normal !

Update : The president of DF is flying by helicopter over DF areas to overview the situation. He reports that so far no serious damage can be seen from the air

Update : The Mexican media including the local seismological agency are not reachable because of too many connections

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/04/02/very-strong-dangerous-earthquake-aftershock-in-guerrero-mexico/

Facts Behind Recent Mexico Earthquake

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“Understanding” the massive March 20 Mexico earthquake

Last update: March 21, 2012 at 5:08 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : On 3/20/2012  at about 11:30h local time, a massive earthquake of magnitude 7.4 (Mexican sources are reporting a M 7.8 strength) occurred in the highly populated region of Oaxaca / Guerrero in Mexico. The earthquake’s epicenter was located at  162 km from Oaxaca and 322 km from Mexico City (Distrito Federal).

The March 20, 2012 earthquake occurred as a result of thrust-faulting on or near the plate boundary interface between the Cocos and North America plates. The focal mechanism and depth of the earthquake are consistent with its occurrence on the subduction zone interface between these plates, approximately 100 km northeast of the Middle America Trench, where the Cocos plate begins its descent into the mantle beneath Mexico. In the region of this earthquake, the Cocos plate moves approximately northeastwards at a rate of 60 mm/yr.

Image compiled by Earthquake-Report.com

Historically, there have been several significant earthquakes along the southern coast of Mexico. In 1932, a magnitude 8.4 thrust earthquake struck in the region of Jalisco, several hundred kilometers to the northwest of today’s event.

Seismic Hazard map shows the max. to expect ground acceleration along the coast – image courtesy USGS – Purple line : subduction trench / fault line, green line : transform fault

Magnitude 7 and Greater Earthquakes since 1900 – image courtesy USGS

On October 9, 1995 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck in the Colima-Jalisco region, killing at least 49 people and leaving 1,000 homeless.

The deadliest nearby earthquake occurred in the Michoacan region 470 km to the northwest of today’s event, on September 19, 1985. This magnitude 8.0 earthquake killed at least 9,500 people, injured about 30,000, and left 100,000 people homeless.

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck Mexico City on the early morning of 19 September 1985 at around 7:19 am (CST), caused the deaths of at least 10,000 people and serious damage to the greater Mexico City Area. The complete seismic event consisted of four quakes. A pre-event quake of magnitude 5.2 occurred on 28 May 1985. The main and most powerful shock occurred 19 September, followed by two aftershocks: one on 20 September 1985 of magnitude 7.5 and the fourth occurring seven months later on 30 April 1986 of magnitude 7.0. The quakes were located off the Mexican Pacific coast, more than 350 km away, but due to strength of the quake and the fact that Mexico City sits on an old lake-bed, Mexico City suffered major damage. The event caused between three and four billion USD in damage as 412 buildings collapsed and another 3,124 were seriously damaged in the city. While the number is in dispute, the most-often cited number of deaths is an estimated 10,000 people but experts agreed that it could be up to 40,000 (source : Wikipedia)

…

for more information, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/03/21/understanding-the-massive-march-20-mexico-earthquake/

Guerrero, Oaxaca, Mexico 7.9 Earthquake

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Earthquake in Guerrero – Oaxaca, Mexico – 500 houses severely damaged at least – but slight damage for such a quake

Last update: March 20, 2012 at 9:33 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude :  7.9 (preliminary)
UTC Time : Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 18:02:53 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 12:02:53 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km
Geo-location(s) :
52 km (32 miles) NE (39°) from Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
53 km (33 miles) WSW (241°) from Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico
193 km (120 miles) E (83°) from Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico   

Update: 2 buildings in the historic center of Mexico city have also been reported damaged.

– Update: No casualties have been reported from Omotopec which is good news given the damage.

– Update:  We have reports from Mexican radio (from Carlos) that 500 houses have been severely damaged or destroyed in Guerrero. As expected Omotopec has had a lot of this damage.

– Update: Currently only 60 houses are still being reported destroyed in the epicentral region with an extra 400 damaged.

– From Carlos Robles – our US/Mexico Earthquake correspondent:- A wall collapsed leaving one with serious injuries in Mexico City. Damage has been reported in Ciudad de Mexico like cracked roads, damaged buildings, and the bridge that collapsed in a bus with no casaulties.  Damage has been reported in Oaxaca with cracked roads and damaged buildings.

In Puebla the Palacio Municipal (Municipal palace, is a government building.) there were 2 cracked walls. Fissures in churches all over Mexico have been reported. Mobile phones were suspended due to overuse. The subway was suspended. The daughter of president Obama was in Oaxaca when the earthquake hit, she only felt the earthquake and has no injuries.

– A highway in Oaxaca has had a landslide cover a small section. It only caused slight damage in the form of a small car crash. Apart from that, other roads are all clear according to authorities.

– Earlier reports of a footbridge collapsing onto a bus in Mexico City were incorrect. In fact, it was the 10 meters of concrete guard rail of the footbridge which collapsed. No people were killed.

– Update : 1 person has been injured in Colonia Juarez – of a nervous breakdown. In addition a staircase collapsed in a police building and there are reports of minor injuries. Other than that only minor damage has been reported. Some bridges have been closed around Mexico as a precaution.

– Update : At least 60 houses have been destroyed in Guerrero. Most of these are expected to be old adobe houses. Omotopec is expected to have major damage. Damage will likely be in the tens of millions of US dollars.

2.5 million users have had outages in their electricity following the earthquake. After 90 minutes, 1.5 million users were restored to the grid. In the Eastern control area partial outages  in the cities of Poza Rica and Coatzacoalcos and parts of the states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Morelos. CFE crews will continue working to restore power as quickly as possible in the affected areas.

– Update :  We notice, as expected, a lot of aftershocks, the strongest ones ranging from M 4.7  to M 5.3.

– Update :   – President Calderon has just confirmed that so far NO lives have been lost.
– Power plants are working normally
– The President has also declared that NO major damage was inflicted
– The Mexican Seismological service is maintaining a Magnitud of 7.8

– Update :  YouTube video of the shaking. The shaking we see on the video was more than 300 km from the epicenter! Swaying is more accentuated in high rise buildings.

 

I have felt it Map courtesy USGS

– Update :  At 13:52 local time (1 hour 50 minutes after the earthquake),  NO fatalities have been reported so far, a very good sign !

– Update :  New Intensity calculations(based on the M 7.4 Magnitude) are giving the following impact :
182,000 people MMI VII (very strong shaking)
596,000 people MMI VI (strong shaking)
2,736,000 people MMI V (moderate shaking)
32 million people MMI IV (light shaking)

– Update :  USGS has further decreased the Magnitude from 7.6 to 7.4, a lot weaker than the initially reported 7.9. The depth has been recalculated to 20 km. All this explains the lesser than originally expected intensity.

– Update :  GOOD preliminary news : Only light damage is currently reported out of the epicenter area. Based on our own experience, we think it is far too soon to have a final estimate, but after such an earthquake, we like to hear that the damage is not general.

– Update :  A concrete walkway bridge has collapsed on a microbus. No reports yet about victims. Some people have been hospitalized by a nervous breakdown.

– Update :  Everybody in the country could be found on the streets after evacuating houses and buildings. The situation on the roads of the bigger cities is simply chaotic. Everybody wants to drive back home.

– Update :  NOAA has released the following Tsunami bulletin : A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI WAS NOT GENERATED BASED ON EARTHQUAKE AND HISTORICAL TSUNAMI DATA. HOWEVER, THERE IS THE  POSSIBILITY OF SOME LOCAL TSUNAMI EFFECTS.  THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED INLAND FROM THE COAST.
GDACS another agency who calculates tsunami heights has calculated that a max. tsunami wave of 0.1 meter may have occurred, nothing to be scared of.

– Update :  the closest airports to the epicenter are Pinotepa Nacional (77km) and Ta Lo De Soto (71km)

– Update :  there are NO hydrodams or NO Nuclear Plants in the vicinity of the epicenter

– Update :  GDACS reports that the nearest populated places are: Coyul (16km), Putla de Guerrero (18km), Cuitlapa (15km), Laguna (3km). The closest civilian airport is Pinotepa Nacional (77km).

– Update :  The area has currently a lot of aftershocks as could be expected. These aftershocks will go on for many hours and even days. Gradually they will get weaker but sometimes even M 6.x can be reached.  People in the epicenter area will have to spend the night on the streets out of fear for aftershocks.

– Update :  This earthquake is a subduction earthquake, which means that the Oceanic plate is gliging below the North American plate and often hangs for a while. When the accumulated energy is suddenly freed a massive earthquake is generated.

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/03/20/massive-extremely-dangerous-earthquake-in-guerrero-mexico/: