Ji Su Lee and Nicole Paul are both structural analysts and risk consultants in the Advanced Technology + Research team at Arup in San Francisco.
Electric power
Nearly 5 million customers were still without power a day after the earthquake. The Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico reported that 3.8 million homes were left without power after the earthquake. Of these, two million were in the Valley of Mexico, one million in Puebla, 708,000 homes in Morelos, and 102,000 homes in Oaxaca. Several power poles had fallen over, blocking streets.
Natural gas
There have been multiple reports of gas leaks, resulting in some fires and at least one explosion. President Nieto has urged residents to shut off gas lines.
Potable water
Pipelines of the CDMX (SACMEX) water system have been reported to be damaged following the earthquake, affecting 700,000 people in the south, particularly Tlahuac, Iztapalapa, and Xochimilco. Three tanks of drinking water were requested by Iztapalapa, and the delegation requested that its population not waste water. In the colonia Doctores (a neighborhood southwest of Mexico City) some residents had found that their water had been contaminated with soil due to pipe damage. Most residents of Mexico City do not drink tap water, and some receive water delivered via trucks (commonly referred to as pipas), which often is the sole source of drinking water. For those in more remote areas, it has become much more difficult to access potable water since the earthquake.
There has been an air of political tension, particularly in regards to delivery of aid such as potable water and food to more remote neighborhoods. More information can be found in a later post.
Telecommunications
Telcel, AT&T, and Movistar offered free service from 9/19-9/21 following the earthquake.
Internet
Telmex opened more than 5,500 WiFi mobile sites throughout the nation to allow for greater Internet access and communication. An app called Bridgefy allowed people to communicate without internet through Bluetooth. Internet was used to help crowdsource data related to damaged or collapsed buildings, search for missing people, and distribute information.
Regional roads (e.g. highways)
Road networks in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla experienced disruptions. A section of the Mexico-Acapulco highway collapsed. Capufe reported that there were mudslides on the Mexico-Cuernavaca-Acapulco and Mexico-Puebla highways, which were already being serviced within the first week following the earthquake. There were also several reports of minor damage. Highways to Cuernevaca, Lecheria, Puebla, Pachuca, and Toluca were all temporarily made toll-free.
City streets
Some city streets were closed for more than a week after the earthquake to allow for use by emergency services, especially in areas where there are collapsed buildings.
Airport
Mexico City Airport temporarily shut down operations, cancelling or re-routing all flights. Airport operations resumed later the same day.
Public transit
Public transportation was temporarily shut down.
Hospitals
President Nieto ordered that the emergency services of IMSS and ISSSTE (both public medical/social security institutes) be open for access to the entire population. Private hospitals such as ABC, Angeles Mosel, Alvaro Obregon and Siglo XXI have been tending to emergency cases at no cost to the patients/victims. Paramedics of the Mexican Red Cross have also been tending to a variety of areas throughout Mexico City.
Schools
School was cancelled in Mexico City and the state of Puebla and Guerrero, both public and private. As of September 27, less than 10% of Mexico City’s 9,000 schools had been re-opened. At least 21 children and 4 adults were victims of a school collapse. It is unclear when students will return to school, especially as some schools are being used as emergency shelter and many remain uninspected or are located adjacent to yellow- or red-tagged buildings. Delays are also caused by long wait times at the federal education office, as school administrators wait to obtain final stamps on the building inspection certificates.
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