ad info




CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
   africa
   americas
   asianow
   europe
   middle east
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:

 

World - Americas

Mexico City learns from the past quakes

Mexico City
Mexico City authorities revised building codes only days after the 1985 earthquake that led to the destruction or demolition of approximately 6,000 buildings  
 
VIDEO
CNN's Harris Whitbeck looks at how Mexico rebuilt after the devastation
Windows Media 28K 80K

August 17, 1999
Web posted at: 8:18 p.m. EDT (0018 GMT)

By Mexico City Bureau Chief Harris Whitbeck

MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- The 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City in 1985, killing 10,000 people, was even more powerful than the one that rattled western Turkey on Tuesday. In the nearly 15 years since then, much has been learned about preparation, survival and reconstruction.

Mexico City's landscape -- including hotels, a children's hospital and office buildings -- changed within a matter of seconds. After the dust clouds cleared, all that remained was rubble.

In all, approximately 6,000 buildings were destroyed or demolished.

The quake also changed the way that residents of one of the world's largest urban sprawl areas live.

Within days after the earthquake, city authorities revised building codes. Some structures that were determined unsafe for occupancy were demolished. Others were rebuilt to newer, safer standards.

"Many of them have been upgraded to new regulations (and) that makes at least Mexico City less vulnerable now than it was 15 years ago," Roberto Meli of the National Center for Disaster Prevention said.

Living legacy

A public park now stands on the site of a former downtown hotel. It honors the memory of those who died and reminds the living of the need for constant preparedness.

Park
Where once stood a downtown hotel, today stands a public park that serves to honor those who died in the 1985 earthquake  

When a quake hits now, occupants of public buildings, organized into security squads beforehand, supervise quick evacuations. Earthquake drills are conducted periodically.

Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention has installed an alarm system that detects movement under the Pacific Ocean. That's often an indicator of a potential quake.

"The use of the network is to alert critical systems," said Meli. This earthquake early warning system allows authorities to stop the city's subway system a few tenths of a second in advance, possibly saving countless lives.

Despite all the preparedness, enforcement and stricter construction codes, few in Mexico feel ready for the next major earthquake.

"Since nobody knows how one will react in a determined moment, it is difficult for prevention measures to work," said one Mexico City resident.

No matter how vivid the memories of recent past destruction or how extensive official contingency plans are, few can predict the effects of a force of nature.



RELATED STORIES:
Strong earthquake shakes central Mexico
June 16, 1999
Strong earthquake hits Mexico City
June 15, 1999
Scope of Colombian quake 'exceeds all calculations'
January 28, 1999
Rescuers search for survivors of Indonesia quake
November 30, 1998

RELATED SITES:
Presidency of the Republic of Mexico (English)
National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) (Spanish)
National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • Departamento de Sismologia - Seismology Department - Institute of Geophysics, Mexico.(Spanish)
  • Departamento de Sismologia - Seismology Department - Institute of Geophysics, Mexico.(English)
Earthquake Information from U.S. Geological Study
The World-Wide Earthquake Locator
Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Structural Geology Resources
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

 LATEST HEADLINES:
SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

Back to the top   © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.