Earthquakes in Puebla: Subduction and the 2017 Disaster

Yes, Puebla is a high earthquake-risk zone and one of central Mexico's cities most exposed to earthquakes. It lies in the southern part of the central plateau, relatively close to the Pacific coast where the Cocos plate subducts beneath the North American plate. This proximity to the country's major subduction zone, combined with local subsurface conditions, gives Puebla a considerable seismic hazard.

The geological context combines two sources of danger. On one hand, large subduction earthquakes centred off the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca send waves toward the centre of the country. On the other, intermediate-depth intraplate earthquakes occur within the already-subducted Cocos plate and can have epicentres very close to Puebla itself. These are especially dangerous because their proximity cuts warning time and increases the intensity felt in the city.

The most dramatic recent case was the earthquake of 19 September 2017, an intraplate quake of magnitude 7.1 centred between Puebla and Morelos that struck the state hard, leaving many victims, collapsed buildings and deep damage to the region's historic heritage. That event confirmed what history had already warned: Puebla sits on a high earthquake-risk zone where preparedness, seismic-resistant construction and a culture of prevention are indispensable.