The coordinator of the Interior Secretariat’s (Segob) National Civil Protection Department, Luis Felipe Puente, indicated that despite the Popocatépetl volcano’s frequent activity, the alert remains at yellow phase two.
He warned that, due to the country’s geological conditions, an earthquake is imminent, and unfortunately cannot be predicted.
Luis Felipe Puente specified that Popocatépetl activity in the last hours is due to the destruction of the dome that the volcano had formed at its surface in the last weeks, which generated pressure inside and ultimately made it launch ash.
In the last few days the ash emitted by the volcano reached most parts of Puebla and Tlaxcala, and “even some municipalities in Veracruz, in the areas of Perote, Xalapa, and Martínez de la Torre.” Puente recommended that the population wear masks, not wash courtyards and sidewalks with with hoses and sweep ashes that accumulate on roofs, especially if these are cardboard or tin roofs.
Felipe Puente said that the ashes would not reach Mexico City or the Valley of Mexico, because the wind is blowing in the opposite direction, although acid rain has fallen in some parts of the city.
Until now, the Popocatépetl, remains relatively calm, with an overhead column of water vapor. Because of this, the conditions do not require raising the alert level.
In response to the threat circulating on social media, on an imminent earthquake of great magnitude in Mexico City, Puente said that according to scientific basis, an earthquake is imminent on the coast of Guerrero, Oaxaca or Chiapas. He warned no to listen to rumors, but rather to stay informed.
