Validation of the Seismic Risk Assessments of the Communities of UNIÓN JUÁREZ, Chiapas; Huexca, Morelos; and Jolalpan, Puebla, Mexico
Abstract
After the September 7 (M= 8.1) and 19 (M=7.1), 2017, Mexican earthquakes, fieldworks were conducted in the communities of Unión Juarez, Chiapas; Huexca, Morelos; and Jolalpan, Puebla, in Mexico. In these towns the structural and socioeconomic seismic risk were previously assessed during other investigations. Our purpose here is to identify the characteristics of the damaged houses and to validate if the zones identified with high and very high seismic risk in those research works, were the ones where significant structural damage was reported during the September seismic events. In addition, we also determined those factors that are needed to measure vulnerability considering it as those elements that make a community susceptible to damage due to the impact of an extreme natural event. Results of our research indicate that 34%, 3.5%, and 12% of the total number of houses were damaged in Jolalapan, Huexca, and Unión Juárez, respectively. The main damages were due to the poor quality construction and the level of physical vulnerability of the local houses and to a lesser extent to the economic and social characteristics of the population. On the other hand, it was found that although the majority of the damaged homes were of adobe, the houses with severe damage were those built with hollow blocks and with low quality reinforcements. Significant damage to adobe houses occurred to those that lacked of any type of reinforcement and with tile roof. In these communities, detailed studies to determine the physical characteristics of the local soil and subsoil are needed. However, it is more important to attend other social problems as housing, health and food, among others. In addition, educating the population about how to improve housing construction techniques would be an essential issue. We found that the structural seismic risk maps previously generated identified those zones were high damage was reported. This result is particularly relevant because in the case of earthquakes, the knowledge about the levels of structural vulnerability is more important than other kind of vulnerabilities. This project was funded by the Program to Support Research Projects and Technology Innovation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM; PAPIIT Project No. IN111217).
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMNH43B1042P
- Keywords:
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- 4325 Megacities and urban environment;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4335 Disaster management;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4341 Early warning systems;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4352 Interaction between science and disaster management authorities;
- NATURAL HAZARDS