Mexico Drill Saturday Will Sound Alerts on 80 Million Phones

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s Second National Drill of 2026 will take place Saturday, September 19, at noon central Mexico time, with seismic alerts set to blare from more than 80 million cellphones and 23,000 loudspeakers nationwide, the federal government announced.

In Quintana Roo, the exercise will begin at 1 p.m. local time.

The drill comes 41 years after the devastating 1985 earthquakes and will involve all 32 of Mexico’s states. Officials say the goal is to strengthen emergency response capacity and put family plans and civil protection protocols to the test.

Alerts Targeted at Pacific and Central States

The seismic alert will sound on more than 80 million mobile phones and through some 23,000 loudspeakers, most of them concentrated in the states bordering the Pacific and across central Mexico.

For the first time, the exercise will be held on a Saturday, a change officials said was designed to make it easier for people to take part from their homes, workplaces and other locations.

“For the first time it will be on a Saturday, and this will allow the vast majority of Mexicans to participate from their homes, which will be a very important exercise — a family plan to determine the responsibility of each family member,” an official said.

Cancún to Join Earthquake Scenario

In Cancún, the municipal Civil Protection Department said the city will join the earthquake scenario proposed by the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred).

Authorities recommend that residents identify evacuation routes, designate meeting points and assign responsibilities within their household or building before the drill begins.

The official registration platform remains open for buildings and properties that wish to take part in the exercise.