Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Sept. 14, 2026 – Puerto Vallarta is included in a statewide earthquake-and-tsunami drill at noon Saturday, Sept. 19, and residents, schools, and workplaces are invited to participate.
The official scenario assumes two earthquakes at noon. The first has a magnitude of 7.7 and an epicenter near Tehuacán, Puebla.
A separate magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Gulf of Tehuantepec would generate a simulated tsunami. The exercise places Puerto Vallarta within the affected area, along with Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán, La Huerta and Cihuatlán.
Both earthquakes and the tsunami are hypothetical drill conditions. They are not predictions for Sept. 19.
What residents can expect at noon
People near participating schools, offices and businesses may see organized evacuations and groups gathering at designated assembly points.
Jalisco Civil Protection has invited families, neighborhoods, schools and workplaces to participate. The federal government has also invited public and private institutions across Mexico to join the exercise.
For registered participants, the state plan calls for exercises at individual properties. Civil Protection personnel will not conduct or observe every drill.
I reviewed the state and federal notices Monday. Neither lists Puerto Vallarta road closures, beach closures, or a suspension of municipal services during the exercise.
State instructions tell organizers to notify nearby properties before starting. They should also advise municipal and state Civil Protection and the C5 911 center. The notification is intended to prevent a drill from prompting an unnecessary emergency response.
Why the scenario includes Puerto Vallarta
The first hypothetical earthquake focuses on strong or severe shaking in parts of inland Jalisco and the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
The second scenario tests the coastal response. Exercise planners assume that the Gulf of Tehuantepec earthquake produces a tsunami in Oaxaca and Chiapas that reaches Jalisco’s coastline.
Jalisco’s plan also assumes possible damage to vulnerable infrastructure, partial service interruptions, structural damage, and landslides. Those conditions are part of the exercise, not expected disruptions.
Puerto Vallarta’s 2014 municipal risk atlas identifies the low-lying coastal strip among the city’s tsunami exposure areas. It also maps potential inland movement through the Río Ameca, Río Pitillal, Río Cuale and Estero El Salado corridors.
The atlas identifies hotels, businesses, restaurants and other tourism-related properties within modeled coastal exposure zones. The Sept. 19 exercise plan does not assign a specific wave height to its Puerto Vallarta scenario.
The city participated in another coastal preparedness exercise in May, when a Jalisco tsunami drill tested local evacuation procedures.
How to participate and register
Institutions and businesses can register their properties through the Second National Drill portal. Registration is free, according to the federal government.
Jalisco Civil Protection lists Sept. 18 as the registration deadline. Registered properties must conduct the exercise at noon because the state will not recognize an alternate time for this drill.
Participating properties should prepare a tabletop exercise plan and complete the state evaluation form. Organizers must report the number of evacuees within 10 minutes after completing their count.
Properties seeking a participation certificate must submit the evaluation form and two photographs. The state lists Oct. 31 as the deadline for uploading evidence and downloading the certificate.
Local questions can be directed to Jalisco Civil Protection’s Regional Command 4. The office is on Calle Dr. Vicente Penney Vital at Andador Norte in colonia Río Pitillal. Its telephone numbers are 322-225-0764, 322-224-4706, and 322-224-5829.
During an actual coastal earthquake, federal tsunami safety guidance advises people not to wait for another warning when shaking is severe. People should leave beaches and low coastal areas and move toward higher ground.
