The Big One (1985 Mexico's Earthquake)

The Big One

 

I grew up in Mexico City in a family of 8 siblings and Mom and Dad.  I always say that I had a very happy childhood, not because I remember everything about my past, but because I feel it in my heart.  I honestly can say that I remember only a few things as a child and some as an adolescent/teenager. Not like my Dad, who used to say he remembered when he was born (I don't know about that one Dad!) and he had lots of memories when he was a child and then growing up.  I wish I had many more memories than what I remember now.  But there is one significant event I will never forget; "The Big One" Mexico's earthquake in 1985.  When I think about it, I actually remember every detail of that day.  And it's with joy and sadness that I recall it because I was blessed to have everyone in my family saved but sad to remember that many lives were lost that day.

 

It was an ordinary day for me, as for a lot of Mexicans, I would say. It was Thursday, September 19, 1985. I was the only one getting up early, most if the time, at home. I went to school close to the center of Mexico. I had to use public transportation.  It used to take about an hour and a half to get to my school "Vocacional #5 de Taxquena". Classes started early, first class at 7:00 am. My first period class was on the third floor. Suddenly, people started complaining about being pushed around.  I felt something in my seat as well (like someone was pushing me), my seat was two rows down from the side windows that faced the street and I notice the big electricity cables moving back and forth.  We all started to panic and to yell "it's an earthquake".... Our teacher stood in front of the class and told us to calm down. It was the longest two minutes of my life... But, before the two minutes were over, our teacher who was suppose to  keep us calm, inched himself to the door and took off.  Then we panicked even more. So we looked at each other and took off as well! I'm not sure if the quake was over or not, but when we made it to the door, everyone was evacuating, there was a lot of pushing and shoving. Everyone wanted to make it down, it was scary to think that the building would collapse and or get hurt by the stampede of students. Finally, I made it all the way down and the next thought in my mind was of all my family back home.. Are they ok? is anyone hurt? Is the house ok? The pay phone line was long and I didn't wanted to wait so, I headed out to cross the street and catch my bus to take me home. There were many routes, so I made sure I got on the right one (no extra money on hand if I make a mistake!!), to my surprise my bus took a different route and my heart sank. Whaaat?.. I made sure this was the right one! What happened? .. Someone in the bus said they needed to detoured busses due to collapsed buildings on the main route. These photographs are similar to the images I saw on my way home.. And I couldn't help crying thinking about my loved ones!!...

 

What should have been a 1 1/2 hour trip home turned into 3 hours. One can only imagine what went through my mind on those long hours. It was like something from a horror movie.

Finally I arrived home. From the bus stop I still had to walk about five blocks which seemed like miles at that time.  As I get to the straight street to leads to my house I can see little people standing  in the middle of the a street, it was my family waiting for me.  Finally I can breathe normal again!! Someone up there loves us, all my family was safe and the house was ok. 

The news on TV were not good. Mexico City had been hit with the biggest earthquake of written history. An earthquake of an 8.1 magnitude on the Righter scale, that lasted approximately 2 minutes. 

The following day classes were suspended.  Authorities needed to assess our buildings. The next day, September 20th at around 7:38 pm another quake shook Mexico again, this time an earthquake  of a 7.6 magnitude.  This time I wasn't too scared, I was home with my family.  This was my little personal experience. Following are some facts and details from an earthquake that took many lives, left vast material damages, and left a grand city with a memory that will forever be remembered.

According to Azteca - www.azteca.com These are some of the highlights of the 1985 Mexico's Earthquake.

Date: September 19, 1985 - 07:19:47 a.m. Central Time
           Aftershock: September 20, 1985 - 19:38:17 p.m. Central Time

Type: Subduction / trepidatory and oscillatory

Magnitude: 8.1
                    7.8
Duration : approximately 2 minutes

Max Intensity: VI a VIII Mercalli

Depth: 15.0 km2

Victims: 10,00 - 50,000

The epicenter was located on the Pacific Ocean in front of the coast of Michoacán.  The fault that produced the earthquake was located on a gap called "Brecha de Michoacán" known for his noticeable, until this date, seismic inactivity.  It was determined that the movement was caused by a Subduction of the plate called  "Placa de Cocos" under the North American Plate.  Some of the diverse appreciations made upon the type of energy that liberated  such movement was the equivalent to 1114 atomic bombs of 20 kilotons each one.

To make matters worse, a second replica was felt the next day.  20 damaged buildings suffered a second hit that crumbled them down.

The number of victims it's unknown.  At the time, the government issue a censorship regarding the victims. The government reported originally 10,000 victims, but years later with census and other government agencies was determined that the victims  could have been up to 50,000.  The number of victims rescued was estimated at 6,000, including 70 newborn/infants from Hospital Juarez.  Among those newborn (two girls and one boy) were rescued alive seven days after the earthquake.

Most of the public services were damage, public transportation - some streets were blocked with debris from the fallen structures, water - pipes were broken in many places, electricity, phone lines,  and gas.  Some of these services were not back in function until months after.  For example the phone line to make long distance calls (national and international) was reestablished until March 1986.

I hope you find a silver lining amongst this tragedy.  I did.  I could have been dead like the 300 students who died when their school collapsed. And to honor those who left us behind, may you be in a happier place.

For now, this is it folks!!

Bea :)

References:

1.  www.azteca.com - 10/09/86