The National Weather Service has done a lot over the past few days detailing various winter storm warnings that are deeply affecting many people. While the service the agency provides is helpful, they do more than just report snowfall and high winds.
Today, the National Weather Service is reporting a major earthquake and has revealed whether it is believed to cause a tsunami. Other reports indicate that the earthquake occurred in a densely populated area, which is always an important factor in determining the magnitude of an earthquake’s impact. It is worth noting that there are reports that the earthquake has caused many landslides
6.5 magnitude earthquake hits southern Mexico
On January 2, 2025, the National Weather Service released a report detailing a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in southern Mexico. The report said the earthquake struck at a depth of 6 miles underground near the coast of Guerrero, Mexico, at 5:58 a.m. PST. The report also stated that the coordinates of the earthquake were 16.8 degrees north latitude and 99.3 degrees west longitude.
A website posted by Michigan Technological University details the severity of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake. An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 to 6.9 “could cause severe damage to densely populated areas,” the website said.
Fortunately, the National Weather Service’s report on a magnitude 6.5 earthquake states that there is no danger of a tsunami hitting the West Coast, Alaska or British Columbia. Additionally, the report said they did not believe the earthquake would trigger a tsunami based on similar events in the past. “Based on earthquake information and historical tsunami records, the earthquake is not expected to trigger a tsunami.”
Earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hits densely populated areas of Mexico
After the earthquake in Mexico on January 2, 2025, Newsweek published an article detailing its impact. The article stated that the earthquake occurred near the densely populated tourist resort of Acapulco. An ABC Eyewitness News 7 report published immediately after the earthquake detailed the impact on residents and visitors to the area.
On top of that, the report detailed that Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said no serious damage had been reported. Sheenbaum made the statement after speaking with Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, who informed her of the news. However, ABC reported that Mexico’s Civil Defense revealed that multiple landslides were reported in areas around Acapulco, including on the state’s highways.
Of course, details of the aftermath of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake may change over time, as more information is sometimes revealed. On top of that, some damage may take a while to become apparent, and aftershocks can change dynamics.
This article was originally published by Men’s Journal on January 2, 2026, and first appeared in the Travel section. Click here to add Men’s Diary as your go-to source.