September 8, 2017 Earthquake: Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Guatemala, Mexico

The Sept. 8th, 2017, M 8.1 earthquake offshore Chiapas, Mexico, occurred as the result of normal faulting at an intermediate depth. Focal mechanism solutions for the earthquake indicate slip occurred on either a fault dipping very shallowly towards the southwest, or on steeply dipping fault striking NW-SE. At the location of this event, the Cocos plate converges with North America at a rate of approximately 76 mm/yr, in a northeast direction. The Cocos plate begins its subduction beneath Central America at the Middle America Trench, just over 100 km to the southwest of this earthquake. The location, depth, and normal-faulting mechanism of this earthquake indicate that it is likely an intraplate event, within the subducting Cocos slab, rather than on the shallower megathrust plate boundary interface. At least 78 people killed and 250 injured in Oaxaca; 16 killed in Chiapas; 4 killed in Tabasco. Thousands of houses and hundreds of schools damaged or destroyed and water service disrupted in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Extensive damage at Juchitan. Some damage in Veracruz. Unconfirmed report of one person killed in Guatemala. A destructive tsunami occurred along the coast of Chiapas, Mexico. Half Way Tree, Saint Andrew, Jamaica - CDI: 9; Motozintla, Chiapas, Mexico - CDI: 9; El Espinal, Oaxaca, Mexico - CDI: 9; Matias Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico - CDI: 9; Teopisca, Chiapas, Mexico - CDI: 9 (reference #13456)

The death toll from Mexico's 8.1 magnitude earthquake rose to 96 on Monday as more victims were confirmed in the hard-hit southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas [...]About 5000 homes in Chiapas were destroyed by the quake, and Murat said about 11,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in Oaxaca.(ref #11877)

In latest census in the state of Chiapas the number of houses damaged has increased from 40000 to 50582. Meanwhile, 1.5 million are without a home. Of these close to a one-third of the homes should be destroyed following the magnitude 8.2 earthquake of Sept 7. There are 2500 affected communities belonging to 81 municipalities in which 50 schools are damaged severely and about a thousand that have some type of infrastructural damage as are 96 medical centers, 155 public buildings and 250 churches. In southern state of Oaxaca, the earthquake caused 78 deaths and severe damages to the infrastructure, it is calculated that at least 12,000 homes are affected and about 800000 without their homes. (ref #11884)

In addition to the 98 deaths - 78 in Oaxaca, 16 in Chiapas, and 4 in Tabasco - the earthquake has left hundreds injured and 2.3 million homeless and more than 50,000 homes damaged. (ref #11883)

Impacts in Guatemala: 18810 are affected, 2570 homes damaged. The most heavily impacted are Huehuetenango and San Marcos. 557 people have received treatment, 224 have been evacuated, 34 have been sheltered, 4 injuries, 2,570 homes damaged (677 light damage, 887 moderate damage, and 1,006 severe damage). The following additional damages: 12 sections of roadways, 2 bridges 33 schools, 10 churches and 25 buildings. (ref #11878)

The 8 Sept. 2017 Mw 8.2 earthquake occurred at 04:49:21 GMT (23:49:21 local time), and was located at 14.85N and 94.11W, at 58 km depth, at the oceanic slab bending. More than 4326 aftershocks were registered, of which the largest reached Mw 6.1. The maximum slip in the Mw 8.2 earthquake from a slip inversion of the tide gauge data is 15 m. Also, preliminary coseismic offsets associated with this earthquake determined from interferometry data suggest subsidence of the coast near Salina Cruz and uplift up to 20 cm in the surveyed area. (ref #11983)

2.3B USD total damage (ref #12078 and #1250)

47468 houses destroyed, 94027 houses damaged, 251 injured, USD 4bn total damage (ref #12592)