On September 19, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Mexico in response to a powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The DART included 67 urban search and rescue members and 5 canines from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who deployed with 65,000 pounds of specialized tools and medical equipment.

LA County Fire Department

Key Developments

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck central Mexico on September 19 resulted in at least 355 deaths, injured nearly 6,100 people, and damaged more than 44,000 buildings in affected areas, according to the Government of Mexico (GoM). Emergency responders had cleared rubble from most collapsed building sites in the capital of Mexico City as of September 28, and the GoM reported preliminary estimates that the September 19 earthquake—in addition to the magnitude 8.1 earthquake that struck off the coast of southern Mexico on September 7—had resulted in at least $2 billion in damage.

On September 29, USAID demobilized the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) for the Mexico earthquake response, in consultation with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. USAID initially deployed the DART on September 20 to support emergency operations in Mexico. The DART’s urban search-and-rescue (USAR) team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department is scheduled to depart Mexico on September 29, following a commemorative ceremony by the GoM.

In coordination with the GoM, the DART USAR team supported search-and-rescue operations at eight collapsed buildings in Mexico City from September 21–23. DART USAR engineers also conducted structural assessments of more than 50 buildings in the city from September 22–27. The DART submitted formal assessment findings to the GoM regarding earthquake-related damage.

The GoM mobilized robust national USAR resources to assist injured persons and save lives after the September 19 earthquake. Since 2002, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance has supported strengthening of USAR resources in Mexico, including the creation of eight Mexican USAR teams.

Background

Mexico is prone to a variety of natural hazards, particularly hurricanes and floods. Since 2003, USAID/OFDA has responded to 11 disaster events in Mexico, including food insecurity, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires. USAID/OFDA disaster assistance has supported GoM emergency interventions and contributed to the relief efforts of local and international non-governmental organizations. In addition to direct disaster assistance, USAID/OFDA supports ongoing disaster risk reduction activities and capacity building initiatives for disaster response in Mexico and the wider Latin America and Caribbean region.