2017 Earthquakes Shake Mexico City

By: Amber Phillips    Feb. 15, 2018

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Imagine sitting on your couch, as if it was a normal day, when all of a sudden, crash, bang, boom. Everything starts shaking and collapsing. There were screams everywhere, and lots of people running outside. This is what the people of Mexico experienced on September 8, and 19. Earthquakes are a very scary thing, especially when the magnitude gets above a 6.0. Sadly, Mexico City had two of the most deadly, and strongest earthquakes in the year of 2017. These earthquakes were the cause of some very tragic aftermath.

  

The first earthquake occurred on September 8th and had a magnitude of 8.2.  Millions of people could feel this earthquake, because it shook the whole city. This was one of Mexico’s strongest, and most violent earthquakes since 1985. Mexico City is on top of a lake, and in a subduction zone. So, the city isn’t very stable, and as it continues to sink, it seems as if the earthquakes are getting much stronger. This initial earthquake resulted in many buildings damaged, injuries, and deaths. Buildings in Mexico were already losing support, but when earthquakes hit, it made it ten times worse. Not only was there an earthquake, but hurricane Katia was also forming in the Gulf of Mexico. This truly was a devastating day for everyone.

  

The second earthquake happened just 12 days after the first one on September 19th. It had a 7.2 magnitude, and also struck on the exact day of the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 earthquake. It even caused

the capital to shake. Residents in

Mexico claimed that this earthquake

was worse than the first one. This is

because it was much closer to Mexico

City. Many buildings collapsed, people

were trapped, and everything was in

ruins. Everyone had to evacuate, and

have their homes checked for any major

damages. So, everyone stood outside,

watching in fear, not knowing what

else to do. In addition, they even had to cancel many schools because of the earthquake. This left many people in despair and shock. The citizens of Mexico experience earthquakes a lot, due to the fact that Mexico is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. However, these earthquakes were quite a surprise, and left a huge aftershock.

  

Compared to many earthquakes that happened worldwide in 2017, these two earthquakes were the strongest, and most deadly. Not only were there two earthquakes, but they were twelve days apart from each other. This left tons of ruin and damage around Mexico, even still today, as well as leaving many people still devastated, and scared. As these earthquakes keep happening, the only thing we can do is work together, and hope for the best.