Oaxaca earthquake, the one thing we can't live with and we can't live without, no it's not what you're thinking.

On September 7, 2017, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake occurred 600 miles from Mexico City, off the Southern Coast of Mexico, the strongest quake to hit Mexico in 100 years. 50 million people felt the trembler, knocking some out of bed in their pajama's into the dark streets. The Mexican States of Chiapas and Oaxaca were hit the hardest, they are closest to the earthquake's epicenter, 9 million people populate the two States. At least 55 people were killed in the hardest hit regions, 45 in Oaxaca, 12 in Chiapas, and four in Tobasco. A total of 61 people lost their lives. After shocks reported by the United States Geographical Society measured above 5.0 (Richter scale), the earthquake's epicenter was 43 miles deep, shallow for an earthquake as stated by USGS geophysicist.

Mexico City is a little hard to spot, it's below Hidalgo, the white spot. The reason I added it is it does show the earthquakes epicenter, in the gulf of Tahuantepec, approximately 600 miles from the Capital.

The shallow depth translates into more severe shaking, normally accompanied with a Tsunami of which this one was not neglected of. Tsunami waves of taller than 10 feet may hit the Mexican coast, and 3-foot waves may be experienced in Ecuador and as far away as New Zealand. In the Mexican City of Juchaitan De Zaragoza in Oaxaca State the hospital collapsed, the patients had to evacuate, medical treatment commenced in the parking lot under the lights of cell phones. I am always amazed at the human spirit, although I shouldn't be, most people run toward a disaster and want to become a contributing source of help, I should stop being amazed, however, I don't think it's healthy to not be. 36 lives were lost in Juchaitan De Zaragoza, Mexico (this number is included in the 45 deaths that occurred in Oaxaca) thousands of homes were damaged it is unknown if they can be rebuilt. The mayor of Juchaitan De Zaragoza, Gloria Sanchez Lopez asked for help "don't leave us alone," she pleaded, "We are in a total disaster." This was one of the strongest earthquakes in Latin American history. One person in Guatemala perished as well. In Mexico City, where reminders of the devastating 1985 earthquake are still visible which resulted in 9-10,000 lives extinguished. (The anniversary of the 1985 event is September 19.). Mexico City sounded the alarm, (for the latest quake) people began to stream out of their homes onto the street, of its 9 million residents, two people experienced injuries.
  As is usual in these devastating catastrophic events people were trapped in collapsed buildings, many volunteers working frantically to free them. The large trucks were having a very difficult time transversing the roads, private vehicles took over delivering basic medical supplies, trauma supplies, food, and water. The people of Juchitan dug through the collapsed buildings and other wreckage digging for survivors, by hand, backhoe, and shovels. Cleanup began in the early afternoon, while recovery continued.
  After the 1985 earthquake, Mexico strengthened their building codes to equal Japan's and the United States, they learned a valuable lesson. The earthquake of September 7th was impressive due to its force and the length of time it lasted, placing an indelible mark in the minds of Mexico City residents.

We will get involved, all of us. 

  The earthquake epicenter was in the middle America Trench at a place where one slab called the "Cocos" plate slides under the America Trench in an action known as "subduction". Its movement is extremely slow, traveling at about 3 inches a year building up the pressure as it goes. Suddenly at one point, the stress becomes too much for the plate to withstand and it shears, causing an earthquake, in this case, a shallow one. The sudden collapse of the plate is also capable of moving a lot of water very rapidly, Tsunami is created, capable of traveling throughout the ocean world until it collides with the land and as in Japan 2011, (9.1 magnitude) chapter two of a terrible disaster plays out. The quake in Japan was 30 times more powerful than this one off the coast of Mexico.
  Earthquakes are unpredictable, Geologist will sometimes issue a press release pertaining to how close they are to being able to predict them, I believe one year they will be able to. Earthquakes happen on every continent in the world, some places are more prone, the circle of fire surrounding the Pacific Ocean being one. The movement of the plates have created all of the earth's mountain ranges, and changed the course of rivers, (the New Madrid Earthquake in Missouri of 1811) caused the mighty Mississippi to flow backward. A little-known fact is in August of 1802 the great spiritual leader Tecumseh (Shawnee) predicted the quake by stating "when the earth shakes and the great river reverses its course we will meet at that spot." 9 years before it happened. (believe 1/2 of what you see and none of what you read, it is a legend with no proof.) The fact remains, however, the course of many rivers have had their courses changed and stopped by earthquakes.
  Have you heard of the Spanish Galleons that were found in the middle of the Southern California desert? It is said that on the North Shore of Baja California deep beneath the surface is a Geological formation called the "Anvil". I am relating this as it was told to me by the manager of a Power Generating Plant I was employed at, so a grain of salt is suggested. The desert was an ocean in the 1600's when the ship floated north, the sea was already drying up. What reportedly occurs is every 1,000 years or so an earthquake occurs that either closes or opens the "anvil" when it's closed the water does not flow underground north, when it opens it does. The water will flow under the sand until it fills up the underground aquifers, turning the ground into quick sand, the water rises to a level where I was, just under 100 feet, the ocean takes over. Palm Springs would be underwater, it's no wonder the Native Americans lived in the mountains bordering the city.

I've been in El Centro, I never looked for the ship, I don't know what remains of it, it's a good subject for another blog. 

  As with every other catastrophic disaster, the addition of water complicates matters many times over, the same is with earthquakes. Hurricane Harvey is the most obvious recipient of a double whammy, but then Hurricanes are a water event. Not so with earthquakes, when a tsunami is created it is the worst of the bad. An inland quake is mostly total devastation of the hardest hit areas, but dry, most earthquakes I have experienced were low magnitude and surprised me and the people around me. (please leave a comment if that's what you have experienced,) They all surprise me, I've been in several, the Loma Prieta was big, I felt it, but I lived 300 miles from the epicenter, we had no damage. I have experienced most of the small ones with the same reaction as the people around me, it begins and we look at each other, dismayed, someone calls out "was that an earthquake?", truly that's how I've experienced them.

Good photo of  what causes earthquakes, or how they occur, the cause takes many eons to build up pressure.

  This Earthquake is different in many ways, however, one way that it will be remembered is that on its tail is a Hurricane, how much water in the form of rain will it bring to complicate an already terrible situation? With not enough water, we die, with too much water we die, water in the wrong spot, we die, it's true about water, as well, "we can't live with it and we can't live without it."
  So many natural disasters that have occurred in September, so many humans impacted, the truth is it can happen anywhere at any time. My battle cry "store water" it's our most in demand commodity, we don't realize it because it is so readily available. Have we taken the availability of water for granted? I think we have, purchase at least 4 cases of water and store them, rotate them through your house hold inventory, but please stock up on them. The way I think of it is I am going to buy the water anyway why not buy 4 today then replace the one on the top of the stack with a fresh one at the bottom as they are used. In the long run, the cost is identical, I will drink the water anyway, so think about it, buy a few cases you'll be a few steps ahead and you won't get dehydrated during a disaster. A final thought, in the aftermath of Irma, 6 million people were displaced, it translates to 3 million gallons of water per day just to supply enough for people to drink, it will pay to stock up.
  Thank you for reading, please comment, and share with everyone. I have added a button if you wish for the blog to be emailed to you. Thanks.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com