S Antonio de La Cal was the epicenter of a 4.0 magnitude tremor that surprised the inhabitants of the state of Oaxaca today at 1:21 local time (7:21 UTC).
The earthquake occurred 11 km southeast of the city and had a depth of 61.4 kmaccording to preliminary information from the National Seismological Service (SSN).
In the event of significant seismic activity, the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) recommends 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 be vigilant.
You can also take the following measures before an earthquake: prepare a civil protection plan, organize evacuation drills, find safety zones at home, school or workplace and prepare 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.
However, seismic events of lower magnitudes can also cause great destruction. During 1985 and 2017, Mexicans watched in amazement as the country’s capital plunged into chaos because of two earthquakes of less intensity than that of 1787.
On September 19, 1985, an earthquake of magnitude 8.2, with epicenter in the state of Guerrero. It was 07:19 local time (13:19 UTC). At that time, it was thought that there would be no more earthquakes of this size, but a similar event occurred exactly 32 years later.
The 2017 outbreak was recorded at 1:14 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. UTC) with its epicenter on the borders of the states of Puebla and Morelos and left a balance of 369 deaths in the center of the country.
