Good News from Mexico
When last night I saw the words "magnitude 7.6" and "Mexico City" on my computer screen, I was sure I would be seeing reports of thousands of deaths and injuries by this morning.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake near Acapulco yesterday rattled the resort town and caused buildings to sway in Mexico City even as officials cited improved preparedness for preventing deaths and widespread damage after a devastating 1985 temblor.
“Buildings and skyscrapers are much more resistant than they were in 1985,” Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard told reporters yesterday. “All of the construction standards have been changed.”
Power was knocked out and windows shattered in several of the capital’s neighborhoods. A section of a pedestrian bridge collapsed on a minibus, injuring one person, and a traffic overpass will have to be demolished after it began to crack, Ebrard said. Even so, there were no reports of any major damage nor were there any fatalities, President Felipe Calderon said yesterday.
I don't believe that all the constructions standards have changed-reports of 800 collapsed houses in Igualapa suggest that luck (about where it hit)--rather than comprehensively improved and enforced building codes--might better account for the relative lack of damage.
But luck is good news, too.
(Even so, if 800 houses collapsed, I have to imagine many more people have been injured than initial reports are suggesting.)
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Oct '10
Re: Good News from Mexico
A close friend owns a 12-unit vacation rental spot in Puerto Escondido, 250 miles SE of Acapulco and reported this less than an hour after the quake:
it was loud like a big object such as a tractor trailer semi hitting a solid wall -- at first i thought is was an accident just outside our compound on the road but it went on for a while shaking things
folks ran out of their room so the concrete walls won't fall on them
I was outside so I didn't feel the buildings, walls, door moving others did and were excited to tell me allab out it.
the swimming pool after-wards was like a big whale had jumped in as the water was going back and forth and up and down the sides of the walls of the pool a good eight inches which I did see.
but our contractor put a ton of extra re-bar in the concrete and i inspected most of our property and problems-- no cracks-- one water pipe underground six inches which may of had a crack in it was broken open and thank God that is is all
We were lucky
Re: Good News from Mexico
Yes, they were lucky.
Del Mar Dave:
but our contractor put a ton of extra re-bar in the concrete
But that part isn't luck.
Aug '10
Re: Good News from Mexico
It is not so safe throughout the country, if we remember what happened to Mexico City in 1985. The estimates of fatalities is so varied, obvious that there was an effort to suppress the real number ( 25ooo?) .
The President isn't worried about Mexican earthquakes or the State Dept warnings about the violence, as he just sent 25 Secret Service people down there. I imagine that it costs millions to train each of these people and to put them in harm's way, I am sure it was a mission of the highest importance to our country.
Apr '11
Re: Good News from Mexico
I'm glad the reports of injuries are not significant. But remember, the place's that are the hardest hit, have the least time, ability and inclination to report in. I was living in Southern California in 1992 when there was a big (7 plus) quake out in the desert. For about 6 - 8 hours the reports were "no major damage or injures"
It turned out that small town in the epicenter had no power or phones and there were a number of injuries, several deaths and lots of property damage.
That was cell phone in every pocket, but the lesson still holds.