Chiapas Earthquake (2017)
The Chiapas Earthquake of 2017 was a significant seismic event that occurred on September 7 off the southern coast of Mexico, near the state of Chiapas. The earthquake measured between 8.1 and 8.2 in magnitude and generated a series of tremors that impacted not only Chiapas but also the neighboring states of Oaxaca and Tabasco, as well as parts of coastal Guatemala. Tragically, the disaster resulted in the deaths of at least ninety-eight individuals and left hundreds more injured. The earthquake affected around one million people in Chiapas, with extensive damage reported to homes and infrastructure.
This seismic event was notable for its scale, being one of the strongest recorded in Mexico since the devastating earthquake of 1985 in Mexico City. Compounding the difficulties faced by the affected communities, Hurricane Max struck the coast just a week later, complicating relief efforts. The aftermath of the earthquake underscored the vulnerability of Mexico, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for its high seismic activity. In addition to the damage in the south, just twelve days later, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck central Mexico, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The response to these disasters highlighted the ongoing challenges in disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience in a country frequently affected by natural calamities.
Subject Terms
Chiapas Earthquake (2017)
Date: September 7, 2017
Place: Off the southern Mexican coast near the state of Chiapas
Summary
In September 2017, an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off the southern Mexican coast near the state of Chiapas resulted in a series of tremors and shockwaves that caused extensive damage to portions of the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Tabasco, as well as portions of coastal Guatemala. According to reports, at least ninety-eight people died and hundreds were injured in the natural disaster.
Key Events
- September 19, 1985—An earthquake near Mexico City leaves at least five thousand dead.
- September 7, 2017—An earthquake off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas leads to a series of destructive tremors and aftershocks along the Mexican and Guatemalan coasts.
- September 14, 2017—Hurricane Max hits the coast of Mexico in Guerrero state.
- September 19, 2017—Another high-magnitude earthquake in central Mexico results in the deaths of more than three hundred people and extensive damage, particularly in Mexico City.
Status
With two high-magnitude earthquakes hitting Mexico in 2017, occurring only weeks apart, the nation was left coping with a severe humanitarian crisis as millions of citizens were left without adequate supplies, homeless, and suffering from various types of injuries. The arrival of Hurricane Max in the southern coastal states of Guerrero and Oaxaca on September 14 further complicated efforts to relocate displaced individuals and to deliver relief supplies to affected communities. Los Angeles Times journalist Patrick McDonnell reported that thousands of Mexico City residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the second earthquake on September 19 were still displaced and awaiting government aid in mid-October.
In-Depth Overview
The nation of Mexico sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a relatively horseshoe-shaped area about 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) long that surrounds the boundary of the Pacific tectonic plate. The Ring of Fire, which includes a string of volcanoes, is among the most seismically active areas on the planet, with 80 to 90 percent of all earthquakes occurring along the ring. As Mexico is located in a subduction zone in which the Cocos tectonic plate is sinking beneath the North American tectonic plate, it is one of the most seismically vulnerable nations in the world.
While earthquakes threaten all communities in southern and central Mexico, the capital, Mexico City, is especially vulnerable because the city was initially built on an island surrounded by a shallow lake. The lake was later drained to accommodate the city’s growth, but the remaining soft sediment below the city can amplify the effects of shockwaves. One of the most severe earthquakes in Mexican history occurred on September 19, 1985, when an 8.0-magnitude earthquake occurred some 250 miles from Mexico City. Despite occurring a considerable distance from the center of the city, the city’s soft sediment led to extreme vibrations above ground with over one hundred thousand houses and buildings destroyed and at least five thousand people believed to have been killed.
Late in the evening on September 7, 2017, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake (as reported by Mexico’s seismological service; the US Geological Survey reported it at a magnitude of 8.1) occurred off the coast of southern Mexico, closest to the state of Chiapas. In addition to Chiapas, the states of Oaxaca and Tabasco were the hardest hit due to their proximity to the epicenter. Seismologists reported that, even though the epicenter was located several miles from the coast and below the surface, an estimated fifty million people across Mexico and in neighboring Guatemala experienced tremors from the earthquake, making it the strongest seismic event since the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. The US Geological Survey recorded multiple aftershocks within hours of the main earthquake. Shortly after the earthquake, officials warned of a possible tsunami, and the coastal towns of Tonala and Puerto Madero were evacuated. Small tsunami waves were spotted, but none of the waves led to significant additional damage.
Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto told reporters that at least 1.85 million homes lost electricity and that water service had been disrupted in the hardest-hit areas. Within days, official reports were emerging regarding the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake, with at least ninety-eight eventually reported dead and hundreds injured. Oaxaca governor Alejandro Murat Hinojosa told reporters that forty-one municipalities in Oaxaca had been affected, with as many as eight hundred thousand people suffering damage to their homes. In Chiapas, at least forty-one thousand houses were damaged and more than one million people were affected, according to Governor Manuel Velasco Coello. Though aftershocks from the earthquake reportedly shook buildings in Mexico City, only a small number of Mexico City residents reported injuries and damage to the city’s infrastructure was minimal.
In the afternoon of September 19, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit central Mexico, with the epicenter located southeast of Mexico City in the state of Puebla. In Mexico City, several buildings collapsed and more than two hundred people were reportedly killed; additional reports of deaths came from nearby states and communities. A subsequent investigative article in the Guardian noted that there had been more than six thousand complaints about construction project violations in Mexico City between 2012 and 2017 and that many of the buildings cited for violations of building codes were among those that collapsed during the earthquake. Coincidentally, the 2017 Mexico City earthquake occurred on the anniversary of the devastating 1985 earthquake.
Key Figures
Manuel Velasco Coello: Governor of the state of Chiapas.
Alejandro Murat Hinojosa: Governor of the state of Oaxaca.
Enrique Peña Nieto: President of Mexico.
Bibliography
Jones, S., & Agren, D. (2017, September 8). Mexico earthquake kills at least 61 and sparks mass evacuations. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/08/mexico-earthquake-warning-tsunami
McDonnell, P. (2017, October 11). “I am full of anguish right now.” Thousands in Mexico remain without homes weeks after quake. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-quake-2017-story.html
Partlow, J. (2017, September 8). At least 58 killed in massive earthquake off Mexico coast. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/massive-earthquake-strikes-off-the-coast-of-mexico-setting-off-tsunami-warnings/2017/09/08/c8114f3a-945b-11e7-aace-04b862b2b3f3‗story.html
Pskowski, M., & Adler, D. (2017, October 13). 6,000 complaints . . . then the quake: The scandal behind Mexico City’s 225 dead. The Guardian. Retrieved from RLINK "https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/oct/13/complaints-earthquake-scandal-mexico-city-dead-construction-collapse" https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/oct/13/complaints-earthquake-scandal-mexico-city-dead-construction-collapse
Taylor, A. (2017, September 19). Mexico has a history of cataclysmic earthquakes. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/08/mexicos-worrying-history-of-earthquakes/
Thousands of homes wrecked by huge Mexican quake, death toll at 91. (2017, September 10). Reuters. Retrieved from RLINK "http://www.reuters.com/article/us-quake-mexico/thousands-of-homes-wrecked-by-huge-mexican-quake-death-toll-at-91-idUSKCN1BL06A" http://www.reuters.com/article/us-quake-mexico/thousands-of-homes-wrecked-by-huge-mexican-quake-death-toll-at-91-idUSKCN1BL06A