Chiapas Earthquake (Mexico)

[Snowboarder_Bo]

8.1; at least 5 dead. Small tsunami waves heading off to the SW.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 11:49 p.m. Thursday local time and its epicenter was 165 kilometers (102 miles) west of Tapachula in Chiapas not far from Guatemala. It had a depth of 69.7 kilometers (43.31 miles).

The POM weighed in:

Mexico’s president says that the magnitude of the earthquake that hit the country is 8.2, the biggest the country has seen in a century.

Enrique Pena Nieto confirmed that at least five people have died in the temblor. He also said that major damage has been caused and that 1 million initially had been without power following the quake, but that electricity had been restored to 800,000 of them.

He said that there have been 62 aftershocks and it’s possible one as strong as 7.2 could hit.

The U.S. Geological Survey has reported that the quake had a magnitude of 8.1. It hit off the coast of southern Mexico, toppling houses in Chiapas state, causing buildings to sway violently as far away as the country’s distant capital and setting off a tsunami warning.

The first article says the quake hit at 11:49 pm local time, so many people in bed and now emergency services (well, everyone) has to try and deal with no light and no power in the immediate aftermath. :smack:

[Crazyhorse]

Didn’t feel a thing in Quintana Roo about 400 mi. away but the reports say it was felt as far as Mexico City over 600 miles away.

Three active hurricanes and a major quake - maybe we can still work in a volcano eruption or something this week just to keep things interesting.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

At least 60 known dead now.

The head of Mexico’s civil defense agency confirmed the deaths of 45 people in the southern state of Oaxaca. Another 12 people died in Chiapas and three more in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco.

The worst-hit city appeared to be Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus. About half of the city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble, and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses.

[JKellyMap]

Bummer. I lived in Oaxaca for most of three years – in the eponymous city (where my apartment was in fact damaged by an earthquake while I was away), and in several mountain villages, though not near Juchitan. I know that area pretty well, though – did a mapping project at the nearby Guengola Reserve.

It’s a small city long famous for its powerful Isthmus Zapotec women – for some reason, for at least a century (maybe much longer), women have “worn the pants” in many households and local government. It will be interesting to see if that colors the recovery effort in some fashion.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

At least 90 dead now.

Living conditions could get bad fairly soon, too; that could contribute to more deaths.

[harmonicamoon]

Thank you for the update.

Chiapas is one of my favorite states in Mexico. It is also the poorest. But it is very beautiful. It has rivers, waterfalls, lakes, high mountains, and great coffee.

Mexico sent 25 trailers of supplies as well as doctors and Red Cross people to help in Houston during the Harvey hurricane.

And Trump has yet to acknowledge the Oaxaca disaster.

Sorry for the fork in the thread.

But it really bothers me.