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A 7.6 quake epicentered in Guerrero state shook Mexico's Pacific Coast. No tsumami warning was triggered. Shepard Smith reports.
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Breaking news mode now as we want to find out exactly how bad the damage is going to be from this earthquake in.
In Mexico here's what we know right now reports of -- powerful long and strong earthquake as they call -- Mexico that was -- to Mexico City.
He was actually centered about a 115 miles north and west of the popular resort town of -- pool -- This is spring break across the United States even given the troubles in Mexico at this moment it's my understanding tens of thousands of Americans at minimum.
Are vacationing now in Acapulco.
These are live pictures from TV Azteca which we -- -- these are from Mexico City.
-- and something to look for that Mexico City a long way away eyewitnesses have reported on Twitter and and other places this is new video.
Eyewitnesses have reported fifteen to twenty seconds of shaking in Mexico City but as the camera zooms in look at the street level.
What you don't see.
Is is is remnants of concrete you don't see dust anywhere which most often means that concrete was not it was not.
Was not compromised and we'd probably don't have any massive damage in and around Mexico City at least in the areas that we've been seeing.
From helicopter shots the truth is Mexico City is more than 220 miles away from Acapulco and right now to our knowledge we have nothing.
Firm out of out of Acapulco.
We know that when they say long and strong that -- somewhere north of thirty seconds -- in duration and the longer these things shake obviously.
The more damage they can do further this was a shallow earthquake the depth about ten miles below the surface.
And that is considered by size -- is to be relatively.
Relatively shallow as earthquakes go now here's another thing we don't yet know was this a roller or shaker.
In other words was this a rolling series of waves of sorts -- what did this hit.
Did this hit like.
Like a hammer hitting.
Where you'd feel an initial blast -- almost feels like an explosion.
And -- -- role that follows we don't have any of these details yet but we know this is a major and potentially very serious earthquake.
Centered near an area where tens of thousands of Americans are believed to be vacationing now in spring break for many students across the United States.
And for elementary and high schools as well in some parts of the country so families there.
-- a college students there were waiting reports from there and we're expecting to get them shortly.
You can see people out canvassing the area lots of folks have left building's construction workers in many cases checking the structural integrity of buildings.
We see people -- at at construction sites who are making sure that scaffolding hasn't fallen and that sort of thing we've also seen pictures on Twitter.
From inside apartments in Mexico City now this can be.
Deceiving because if you're way up -- in a building that submit to roll with earthquakes which is what earthquake standards require now.
It could be that a lot of stuff in your house would be knocked over we've seen.
Tables down and and stuff off shelves and that sort of thing which would be expected in an earthquake of a seven point six magnitude.
The question is how much damage has been done to let's say hotels and businesses in these tourist areas.
That information we don't yet have it's our understanding that phone lines are in many cases blocked.
Because so many people try to get on the phones at once we also know that electrical systems have been compromised in some areas whether they're able to get those back up very very quickly.
Or it would take some time we have yet to know.
But we -- we can tell you this there will be aftershocks there's no chance that there won't be aftershocks from this.
And people airing on the side of caution as we would here in the United States.
Outside away from buildings in areas where if something does shake and fall it won't shake and fall on them.
So just after the noon hour now in Mexico City and there waiting to see what happens next and certainly waiting for reports in for the tourist areas.
Where a major earthquake has now struck Trace.
