7 Magnitude quake in oaxaca

Earthquakes seemed comonplace there, starting with our very first visit to the country. We had flown in to Puerto Vallarta, were waiting with our luggage for another plane to land with some friends who were headed our way later. The shaking started. All the workers ran out, leaving us still guarding our luggage! I watched the walls and ceilings for cracks. Nothing. The workers returned, things seemed okay. Then I caught some movement with an eye - a Budwiser sign on a wall was still going through some unscripted motions. Welcome to Mexico.

Still no reports if Mex 200 is open or closed. Relief depends on truck convoys. News from Puerto Escondido would be welcome.

Another one today in the wee hours at 00:56 it was a 6.0 did not wake up at all, we are going to have more until the subduction plate adjusts to the new strains and tugs, the area that has not moved in a long time is right in front of the coast of Guerrero, Acapulco is on that stretch, that moved last in 1957, so lets see if it snaps this year or next, that will be bad for lot of poorly constructed condominiums in Acapulco on the hill sides and some of the constructions on the canyons both in Acapulco and Mexico City.

Lets hope and pray for the best for the poor inhabitants.

navegator

We were in the Holiday Inn Express in Oaxaca - it shook for about 45 seconds. Having lived in So. California for many years, I would place the shake at about 2.5 at our location - and probably would not have evacuated except that it lasted so long. There was no visible damage to the hotel or any of the structures nearby.

Seven casualties all on the ground waiting in an open field near two vehicles acting as a reception for the governor. Cause of failure -- unknown.

The slow response to reporting damage on the ground is due to the remoteness of the area. Many indigenous dwellings there are adobe mud brick.

Even the federal highways are thin-skinned potholed asphalt

Highway terrain cuts have near vertical sides. A nightmare for land slides. Old engineered bridges even over small arroyos.

Many of the rural villages are at the end of trails suitable only with 4x4's. not even Chicken Buses can traverse them. Aid will be a long time coming.

UPDATE translated from newspaper Reforma

Sedena assumes
responsibility
in accident

SEDENA, admitted responsibility for helicopter crash in Oaxaca; The Governor said that dust the helicopter raised when trying to land disoriented the pilot.

The real key is the land. My pueblo sits on rock to the point where building a septic tank with leach fields (done right) is a real effort. Strong backhoe that can move 1,000 pound chunks of basalt.

The Jello soil of Mexico can wiggle like dessert gelatin. God help the Chilangos if a 7.0 + quake occurs on the fault that runs alongside Popocatépetl.

Los Pinos is in the Chapultepec hills for a reason and it's not because of the view.

This is a way more descriptive measurement for the immediate regional effects of a terramoto.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mercalli.php

The casualties known so far were persons on the ground when the helicopter lost visibility and went down and rolled over, hopefully that is all it will be some time before the damage is known, it was a long one it was more than one minute of movement.

navegator

Our friends family lives in the mountains above Pinotepa. As of last night, no power or communications, but a reporter got a message out that everyone there was OK.

The Minister of the Interior and Oaxaca Governor were out surveying the damage in a helicopter and crashed upon attempting to land. Two deaths which I am assuming were the pilot and co-pilot, and the two officials made it out alive.

More than 150 after shoks some 5.8 and lower some of the tall buildings sway, we do not feel them since we are in an area that is very hard rock, they have to be arround 6.5 or more to be noted, my wi/e is a good seismometer she tels me to stop shaking her, been arround quakes all my life, I like them!

The house in California I quake proofed so that it might move but will not fold, I reinforced the walls and roof as an upside down boat hull when we remodeled the kitchen and bathroom.

So far Saturday morning 00:33AM no casualties reported just some structural damage, l hope that is all.

navegator