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Alert – Earthquakes and Aftershocks (February 16, 2022)
7 MINUTE READ
February 16, 2022

Message for U.S. Citizens

Location:   Guatemala, country wide

Event:  In the early hours of Wednesday, February 16, 2022, INSIVUMEH reported that an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck southwestern Guatemala with several follow-on aftershocks.

The U.S. Embassy has not received any reports of U.S. citizen casualties or severe injuries as a result of the earthquake.

CONRED confirms damage in the following locations:

Chimaltenango

Patzicía                          Landslide                       Entrance to the urban area

Patzún                            Landslide                       Slope of Villa Linda km 81

Escuintla

Sipacate                         Structural cracks             Urban area

Guatemala City

Amatitlán                       Structural collapse          Route to El Rincón

Mixco                            Structural cracks             San Cristóbal Mixco

Villa Canales                  Structural cracks             Cemetery Avenue (Avenida del

Cementerio)10-80 Zone 2

Quetzaltenango

Quetzaltenango              Landslide                       Route Cito 180 (Ruta Cito 180)

Zunil                              Landslide                       Km 212.5 route Cito Zarco

Sacatepéquez

Antigua                          Landslide                       Km 37.5

Structural cracks             Urban area

Landslide                       San Bartolomé Becerra

Sololá

Nahualá                         Landslide                       Km 148 Route Interamericana

San Pedro La Laguna      Landslide                       Calzada los Principales

Sololá                             Landslide                       Los Encuentros

Totonicapán

Totonicapán                   Residential damage         Fourth street and Second

avenue Zone 4

Actions to Take:

CONRED (National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction) advises citizens to:

  • Follow instructions issued by local authorities
  • Review household evacuation plans
  • Ensure that a 72-hour emergency bag is ready for each household member.

The U.S. Embassy further recommends that U.S. citizens:

  • Avoid traveling while heavy rains occur as roads can quickly become extremely unsafe.
  • Navigation devices and applications that provide directions and traffic and route suggestions should be used with caution as certain detours or alternate routes from main roads and highways can lead to unsafe areas or roads affected by flooding or landslides.
  • Visit CONRED (Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres) and INSIVUMEH (Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología) websites for updated weather and hazard information.

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Guatemala City, Guatemala
Website:  https://gt.usembassy.gov/
Phone: (502) 2326-4000
Email:  AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov

State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444

Guatemala Country Information and Travel Advisory Page

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