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Earthquake.


Jistme

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The NYTimes is reporting the Chiapas off-shore earthquake last night as the worst in a century.  According to the newspaper El Universal, it was magnitude 8.4 on the Richter scale.  As of the moment, the news is reporting more than 30 dead: 26 in Oaxaca, 4 in Chiapas, and 3 in Tabasco.  Here's a link to coverage in El Universal; even if you don't read Spanish, the photos might interest you.

The hideously loud Mexico City earthquake alarm activated at approximately 11:49PM.  There's an alarm in every neighborhood, including on the corner just one door from where I live; the sound of the siren and the horror of the constantly droning voice--ALERTA SÍSMICA  ALERTA SÍSMICA  ALERTA SÍSMICA--is enough to give a person a heart attack.  My four-story building, which was undamaged in the 1985 quake, is consistently strong and generally when there is a quake, we residents don't go downstairs because of an out-of-code 10-story-tall glass-and-sheetrock building across the street that will, if fate decrees it, be the first to fall and kill us all.  I braced myself in a safe interior doorway and waited. Within a minute, the shaking started.  Slow at first, it soon picked up speed and severity until the pull-chains on the ceiling fan that I could see were swinging closer and closer to the ceiling. The hardwood floors were creaking loudly and the building itself was groaning, moving back and forth and banging against the building next door.  The portions of the floor that I could see appeared to be waves on the sea and I clutched tighter to the door frame.  The electricity failed and I considered going downstairs to the street, but because of the building's movement, I could not have walked the distance to the front door without being knocked down.

For me, one of the worst things about an earthquake is not knowing when it will stop.  Last night's quake lasted for approximately two minutes, a long time for an earthquake, with hard up-and-down shaking (as opposed to oscillating shaking) during the entire time.  Many friends have reported their fear of not knowing whether the quake would continue to intensify, whether they would survive it, whether it would be like the 1985 quake in which as many as 40,000 people died.  That's the sort of fear that an earthquake inspires.  However, shortly after the quake stopped the electricity in my small building came back on.  Many other neighborhoods are still without electricity this morning and friends have reported from their cell phones that they have no internet service, only WiFi.

It is always terrifying to experience an earthquake; in seven years, Mexico City has lived through several of a Richter scale magnitude greater than 7.  Three were 7.2, two were 7.8.  To my knowledge, to this point in this event we haven't had any strong aftershocks.  By 2:00AM I had stopped shaking and was able to go to bed and sleep till morning.  There's no way to express the gratitude we all have for our safety.  

Please pray for Mexico's southern states where the damage is greatest and where news of loss of life will no doubt continue to rise.  And while you're praying, say one for Mexico's east coast, where Hurricane Katia is expected to strike within the next 24 hours.  Veracruz and eastern Oaxaca will take the brunt.

Link to El Universal:  http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/
 

 
 

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Be safe More Liana. And, if you can, please post the link. We're all hoping for the best for anybody going through a natural disaster right now.

I added the link, thanks for the reminder.  Note to self: you're still shook up!

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Chiapas and the Isthmus, Oaxaca  and Tabasco got the worst of it , thanks goodness there are no large cities in the area but Juchitan was badly damaged and so were many small villages. Many of the old churches between San Cristobal and the coast were damaged and people were really traumatized. I am glad that I left tuesday  to get back to Ajijic. 

 

 

 

 

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Chiapas and the Isthmus, Oaxaca  and Tabasco got the worst of it , thanks goodness there are no large cities in the area but Juchitan was badly damaged and so were many small villages. Many of the old churches between San Cristobal and the coast were damaged and people were really traumatized. I am glad that I left tuesday  to get back to Ajijic. 

 

Image of last night in Juchitán, Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca.

Brigitte thank you for checking in, so many people have asked me where you are and if you are okay.  

image.png

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Chiapas and the Isthmus, Oaxaca  and Tabasco got the worst of it , thanks goodness there are no large cities in the area but Juchitan was badly damaged and so were many small villages. Many of the old churches between San Cristobal and the coast were damaged and people were really traumatized. I am glad that I left tuesday  to get back to Ajijic. 

 

We were all concerned about you and Bubba,so thanks for checking in....

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I am so glad to find out the BMH is the Bubba and Bridgette we so fondly remember from years ago. Becky and I are in San Marcos, TX. We are fine, but our family was involved with the hurricanes (2 kids in Houston - one flooded and one with 2 grand kids in New Orleans safely waiting on the storm there to end). We are fine and safed and life survives often with butterflies and cotton candy. When you get back - drop us a line (kergosieneverett@gmail.com). We would love to hear from you two. Everett

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