Life is slowly returning to normal along the California-Mexico border following a powerful Easter Sunday earthquake. The 7.2 magnitude temblor was the strongest in the region in almost two decades, scientists say, Loss of life was minimal and property damage relatively minor given the tremor’s strength, but the quake and its aftershocks are a potent reminder that California and its neighbors north and south are located along one of the earth’s most active quake zones.
Sunday’s earthquake, centered near Mexicali just south of the international border was felt deep into Mexico and as far way as Nevada and Arizona. Much of its power, seismologists reported, was dissipated in sparsely populated areas rather than in urban centers. The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, by comparison, affected heavily populated areas. Consequently, the death toll and property damage in those instances was more extensive, particularly in Haiti where lack of strong building codes exacerbated the devastation.
Still, at least two deaths, more than 100 non-life threatening injuries and significant property damage was reported. Almost 80 percent of the historic downtown area in Calexico, Calif., the hardest hit U.S. city, remained off limits Tuesday. In addition, a 10 million gallon water clarifying tank and three large tanks that contain the city’s water supply were damaged. Emergency officials understandably declared a state of emergency there, a wise precaution in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
In addition, cross-border auto traffic into Calexico remained closed on Tuesday because of damage to a federal building there. At press time, there was no indication when it would reopen. Until it does, drivers who want to enter the United States must travel 10 miles to another border crossing.
Similar problems were evident south of the border on Tuesday. Power and water service were being restored, but new reports of collapsed or damaged buildings continued to reach authorities. Streets were buckled in many places, leaving gaps several feet wide. Many irrigation canals in the predominately agricultural area were ruptured by the quake and that prompted extensive flooding. Reservoirs and a major aqueduct, though, appeared unharmed, though inspections of them and other infrastructure continued.
Clean-up, officials on both sides of the border said Tuesday, is progressing rapidly, but it is likely the effects of Sunday’s earthquake will be palpable for a long time. Residents of the region — long accustomed to quakes, or the possibility of them — need only look around them to be reminded that nothing can really prepare an individual or community for the unexpected rumbling and shaking of the earth and the destruction it can bring.