September is usually associated with a greater number of earthquakes in Mexico. Some people even call it “September”, but although this is a myth, technology can be an ally to face periods of emergency, especially in areas where seismic activity is usually higher regardless of the month.
In Mexico City, the Metropolitan Zone, as well as in the states of the national southeast, one of the most useful tools available to the population is seismic alert, but technology can complement these resources through applications for your mobile phone with which you can be better prepared in case of an emergency.
Apps to alert about earthquakes
Neither the apps nor the seismic alert have the power to predict an earthquake. Experts point out that the Earth will continue to move and there will be more earthquakes, but it is impossible to say when one of these events will occur or at what time. Therefore you can use these technological resources.
SkyAlert
The technological tool sends alerts with intensity in each locality for free, as well as the estimated time of arrival of an earthquake in Mexico in its paid version.
This application works for devices with operating systems and .
The app issues an alarm around 60 seconds before the earthquake strikes. It also allows you to have a contact base to communicate in an emergency, as well as key service numbers depending on your location.
Earthquake Detector
This free app detects strong earthquakes in real time through the smartphone network. It has a seismic alert that is activated between two and five seconds in advance.
After the event, it provides detailed information on where the earthquake occurred, its magnitude, depth and also the impact radius. It has a chat function and reports from other users, through which it is possible to detect the location of relatives or friends.
Earthquake
This application is especially useful in the Apple operating system, since it has a replica on the Apple Watch, which also provides information on earthquakes in real time and even provides information on those that happen around the world.
The app is special, as it works with data networks from different local agencies, such as the National Seismological Service or the United States Geological Survey, among others, and has the ability to warn about the possibility of a tsunami.
My Shake
It is an app developed by the Seismology Laboratory of the University of Berkeley, which provides information and alerts about an earthquake even if the location services are deactivated.
In this tool, communication is a central point, since it allows you to make reports on how the situation is around you, in addition to providing maps and safety tips to take care of yourself in the best way.
Does it tremble more in September?
The National Seismological Service has seismic records since 1900 and although the strongest movements in the country have occurred during September, there is no scientific proof that there are more movements of the Earth during this month.
In fact, since the 20th century there have been 86 earthquakes considered “big”, that is, with a magnitude greater than 7.0 and the one that has had the most events of this type is December, with 12; followed by September, with 11, and in third place June, with 10.
However, it is undeniable that there is a perception among the population that it shakes more during September, due to the great magnitude of the earthquakes that occurred in the capital in 1985 and 2017.
“This is a valid perception,” explained seismologist Luis Quintanar. “It is a logical perception of people, because we are used to measuring natural phenomena on the scale of human life, which is not always the most appropriate point of view (…), which is 60, 70 years, but on a scale a little older than 100, 200 years.”
