A national earthquake (and natural disaster) drill will be held in Mexico this Thursday, September 19, the seventh anniversary of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that rocked central Mexico and the 39th anniversary of the magnitude 8.1 earthquake that devastated Mexico City.
Here are the things you need to know about national simulacrumor national training.
What time is the practice?
Practice will begin at 11 a.m. Mexico City time.
Where will the training take place?
According to the federal government, all 32 federal entities (Mexico City and 31 states) will participate in this year’s exercise.
What is the drilling hypothesis?
The “main” hypothesis for this year’s exercise is a 7.5 magnitude earthquake with epicenter in Acapulco, Guerrero.
However, Civil Protection authorities in each state will use different scenarios to conduct drills, depending on the dominant natural disaster risks in each state.
Will the earthquake alarm sound?
Earthquake alarms will be activated in Mexico City and 10 states: Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Morelos, the state of México, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
The government said the alarm would be sounded from 14,490 loudspeakers, nearly 14,000 of which are installed on poles in Mexico City.
CDMX residents will also receive alerts via mobile phone.
Residents in the Mexico City metropolitan area will receive a message on their mobile phones informing them of a national earthquake drill, the first time such a message has been sent, the federal government said.
What will happen during training?
The building will be evacuated, and other emergency response protocols will be activated.
Authorities are urging residents to remain calm and not to run, scream or push anyone during the drills — or if they experience a real earthquake or other natural disaster.
Workplaces and schools, among others, have safety representatives who will lead Thursday’s drills.
City, state and federal governments will use these exercises to test their emergency response strategies and plans.
What should you do during drills (and real earthquakes)?
In addition to evacuating the building and following instructions from safety representatives, residents — if they can and if necessary — should:
- Helping and looking after children.
- Helping the elderly.
- Helping people with disabilities.
- Caring for pets.
- Turn off the gas, water and electricity.
How should you prepare for an earthquake?
The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) advises people to prepare a “family civil protection plan” for earthquakes, organize and participate in evacuation drills and “identify safe areas” in their homes, schools and workplaces.
Among other suggestions, he encouraged residents to prepare an “emergency backpack” with items such as a flashlight, first aid kit, two-way radio, water, non-perishable food, warm clothing, medication and photocopies of important documents.
During an earthquake, Cenapred urges residents to remain calm and stay away from objects, buildings, trees, and electricity poles that could potentially fall. Residents living near the sea should stay away from the coast due to the risk of a tsunami.
Why was the exercise held on September 19?
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, a massive earthquake struck Mexico City on this date in 1985, killing thousands. Authorities then decided to hold an earthquake drill on the same date to prepare for a similar event.
The September 19, 2017, earthquake that killed nearly 400 people in central Mexico occurred just hours after that year’s quake. statuewhile another major earthquake occurred on the same date in 2022 less than an hour after the drill was held.
Is it a coincidence that three major earthquakes occurred on the same date in the last 38 years?
Yes.
On September 19, 2022, a Canada-based environmental seismologist described the occurrence of the latest earthquake on September 19 on the same day as the previous earthquake as a “surprising coincidence.”
“Today, in an astonishing coincidence: Mexico held a national earthquake safety drill today to commemorate the anniversary of the September 19, 2017 magnitude 7.1 earthquake and the September 19, 1985 magnitude 8.0 earthquake. An hour into the drill, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck,” Celeste Labedz said on social media.
“Note: ‘Amazing’ from a human perspective does not mean there is anything geophysically strange! Mexico is no stranger to large earthquakes (especially in subduction zones), and the possibility of a date coincidence can be surprising, as in the Birthday Problem,Labedz added, referring to probability theory.
Meanwhile, physicist at the National Autonomous University José Luis Mateos said the chance of three major earthquakes occurring on the same date is one in 133,225 or 0.00075%.
Mexico Daily News
