The time for Mexico to be talking about earthquakes is now
Mexico News DailyJul 08, 2021
On Monday, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake rocked the central Pacific coast of Mexico, killing at least one person. This took place on the anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in Mexico's history.
Initially measured at 7.5 magnitude by the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake began around 1:05 p.m., bringing early reports of damage to structures. The epicenter was recorded at 23 mi. southeast of Aquila, near the border of Colima and Michoacán states at a depth of 9.4 mi.
Within Latin America, Chile has become the gold standard for learning lessons from devastating earthquakes to enhance future preparedness. Unfortunately, in contrast, Mexico is repeatedly devastated by earthquakes, and the poor and vulnerable continue to suffer. Mexican officials need to step up and begin legislative conversations that will enhance preparedness before the next big quake.
For decades, Mexican authorities have been working to develop a detailed disaster risk reduction and preparedness plan. Through a presidential mandate, a federal, large-scale earthquake plan was then developed. Mexico now effectively coordinates federal agencies, civil society groups, and the private sector to improve response and recovery to tragedies like these.
There's a 50% chance that 32.2K people will die as a result of the most deadly earthquake from 2020 - 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.