Earthquake Preparedness in Mexico City

All over Mexico City you will see green squares painted in public spaces. This is where you go in case of an earthquake.

The green squares have arrows pointing in the middle of them. Sometimes they say “Punto de Reunión”. That means “Meetup Point”.

Earthquakes are very common in Mexico City. Because Mexico City is built over a drained lake bed, the wet and unstable foundation of the city can amplify the shaking earthquakes. Even earthquakes that start hundreds of miles away under the Pacific ocean can reverberate in the city.

Because Mexico City can be affected by earthquakes forming many miles away, it’s possible to detect them before they hit the city. If an earthquake is imminent, a loud alarm goes off throughout the entire city. This means there is about 60 seconds to take cover for safety.

If you hear a loud, pulsing siren going off outside (and you may also get a notification to your phone), run to a doorway if you are inside. If you are outside run to a “Punto de Reunión” spot.