On September 19, 1985, Mexico City, Jalisco, and the coast experienced an earthquake of 8.1 magnitude, resulting in 10,000 dead, 30,000 injured, 250,000 left homeless, and 400 collapsed buildings. The catastrophic quake led to international criticism of President Miguel de la Madrid’s management of the disaster. From the incident came increased efforts for emergency preparedness, such as the Seismic Early Warning in Mexico (SASMEX).
In this case study, Ramon highlights the details of the earthquake, including the factors that intensified the impact and the president’s failed preparedness for and response to the disaster. While citizens of Mexico were empowered to build community-wide resiliency efforts after the event, Ramon emphasizes how improved government crisis planning could have saved thousands of lives.