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Mar del Plata Offshore Quake Tops Day of Moderate Shaking as Mexico City Tests Response

Officials reported no damage as 8.2 million people participated in a Mexico CityEstado de México drill simulating a magnitude 7.2 event.

Overview

  • Argentina’s INPRES confirmed a magnitude 4.9 quake at about 8:15 a.m. local time offshore near Mar del Plata, shallow at roughly 9–10 km, felt in southern neighborhoods and nearby Miramar, with no tsunami risk or reported damage.
  • Mexico’s SSN logged two early‑morning events on Feb. 19: magnitude 4.3 west of Huetamo, Michoacán (01:02), and magnitude 4.1 southwest of Mapastepec, Chiapas (04:45), both without alerts or reported impacts.
  • Peru’s IGP reported a magnitude 4.1 quake on Feb. 18 north of Talara, Piura (intensity II–III) with no injuries or damage, followed by a magnitude 3.9 near Mala, Cañete just after midnight on Feb. 19 (intensity III).
  • Mexico City and Estado de México conducted their first metropolitan drill of 2026 at 11:00 a.m., with 98.5% of loudspeakers operating, an average evacuation time of 1:52, and coordinated rescue exercises overseen by city authorities.
  • Agencies emphasized routine monitoring and preparedness guidance, noting that Thursday’s Mexican events were too small to trigger the public alert and urging residents to rely on official seismic reports.