An earthquake of 4.0 magnitude and with a depth of 9.5 kilometers took the inhabitants of the city by surprise Saint Rosalia at 21:22 local time (3:22 UTC) today.
The epicenter of the episode was 72 km north of said town in the state of Baja California Sur, according to preliminary information from the National Seismological Service (SSN).
In the event of significant seismic activity, the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) calls not to fall for rumors or false news and only get information from official sourcessuch as the Civil Protection authorities, both local and state, as well as federal.
After an earthquake, search your home of possible damages, use your cell phone only in an emergency, do not light matches or candles until you make sure there is no gas leak and remember that there may be aftershocks of the earthquakeso it is important to stay alert.
You can also take the following measures before an earthquake: prepares a civil protection plan, participates in evacuation drills, identifies security zones at home, school or workplace and set up a emergency backpack.
during an earthquake keep calm and stay in a safety zone, stay away from objects that may fall; if you are in a vehicle, park and move away from buildings, trees and poles; and if you are located on the coast, stay away from the beach and take refuge in high areas.
This is not the first time that Mexico has suffered this type of onslaught of nature. Its geographical position places it at constant risk of experiencing these events. Thus, in 1985 and 2017, there were seismic movements that caused enormous destruction in the nation. Although these two are the most recognized today, they are not the largest in the territory.
The strongest earthquake recorded in the history of what is now Mexico had its epicenter in Oaxaca. That March 28, 1787trembled with the 8.6 magnitude force. The land not only vibrated but also the sea showed its fury with a tsunami that went up to 6 kilometers beyond the coastline.
According to a study by the Center for Seismic Instrumentation and Recording (Cires) carried out in 2009 on the earthquake of March 28, 1787, large earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.6 or greater could occur in the next few years. These will have the coasts of Mexico and Central America as their epicenter, as they are located in the Guerrero Gap, which accumulates a large amount of energy.
But even smaller earthquakes can cause major damage. Examples of the above were the seismic events of 1985 and 2017. On those occasions, the lives of the residents of Mexico City were turned upside down, while both the Government and private citizens rebuilt buildings and infrastructure.
The one on September 19, 1985 occurred at 7:19 local time (13:19 UTC) with a magnitude of 8.2 and with epicenter in the state of Guerrero. Since that earthquake, many thought that something like this would not happen again. But it happened again exactly 32 years later.
In 2017, it happened at 1:14 p.m. local time (18:30 UTC), with its epicenter in an area between the states of Puebla and Morelos. Then, the number of fatalities reached 369.
