Major Earthquake Hits Southern Mexico

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Mar 20, 2012; 1:27 PM ET

According to the United States Geological Survey, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake has struck 115 miles east of Acapulco, Mexico this afternoon.
The quake occurred at just past 2:00 p.m. EDT and was in the Oaxaca region of Mexico near the southern coast.
The epicenter was 15 miles east of Ometepec in the Guerrero state.

 

This USGS map shows the epicenter of the major earthquake that rattled southern Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.
The depth of the quake was 10.9 miles, which is considered to be shallow and could have caused substantial damage. Many small towns were hit and may have sustained serious damage.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any tsunami watches, warnings or advisories, releasing a statement saying, "a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii."
The weather should cooperate with cleanup and rescue efforts.
"The weather is dry and sunny," said AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity. "It is their dry season right now."
Content contributed by AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Major Earthquake Hits Southern Mexico