A magnitude 4.0 tremor was recorded in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 and with a depth of 5 kilometers took the townspeople by surprise Vallarta Port at 2:53 local time (7:53 UTC) today.

The epicenter of the episode was 290 km southwest of that town in the state of Jalisco, according to preliminary information from the National Seismological Service (SSN).

In the event of significant seismic activity, the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) calls not to fall for rumors or false news and only get information from official sourcessuch as the Civil Protection authorities, both local and state, as well as federal.

After an earthquake, check your home in search of possible damage, use your cell phone only in emergency, do not light matches or candles until you are sure that there is no gas leak and remember that earthquake aftershocks may occurso it’s important to stay alert.

You can also follow the following measures before an earthquake: prepare a civil protection plan, organize evacuation drills, find safety zones at home, school, or workplace and make a emergency backpack.

during an earthquake stay calm and stay in a safe place, stay away from objects that could fall; if you are in a vehicle, park and move away from buildings, trees and poles; and if you find yourself on the coast, stay away from the beach and take refuge in high areas.

Mexico stands out as one of the countries with the most seismic activity. In popular memory, the events of 1985 and 2017 are remembered above all, movements that caused devastation in their territory. Despite being the most remembered, they were not the largest since modern times.

The On March 28, 1787, the strongest earthquake recorded in the country occurred.. Oaxaca, then the central point of the Spanish colony, was the victim of a move of 8.6. That event was so impetuous that it was followed by a tsunami that reached 6 kilometers inland.

According to a study by the Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Recording (Cires) carried out in 2009 on the earthquake of March 28, 1787, large earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.6 or greater could occur in the next few years. These will have as their epicenter the coasts of Mexico and Central America, as they are located in the Guerrero Gap, which accumulates a large amount of energy.

However, a lower magnitude in a seismic event does not necessarily translate into a lower impact on buildings and infrastructure. Thus, in 1985 and 2017, the inhabitants of the capital, Mexico City, had to face the devastation caused by two earthquakes that became a watershed in their lives.

As for the one in 1985, it occurred on September 19 of that year at 7:19 local time (13:19 UTC), with its epicenter in the state of Guerrero and a magnitude of 8.2. Since then, it was believed that nothing like it would be repeated, but, coincidentally, it happened again exactly 32 years later.

In 2017, it happened at 13:14 local time (18:30 UTC), with its epicenter in an area between the states of Puebla and Morelos. Then, the death toll reached 369.