Weekly Wave: Reflections: On April 4, Easter, and the Earthquake

In 2021, the Easter holiday once again fell on April 4, which happens to be my birthday. This coincidence previously happened in 1999 and 2010. For different reasons, I think back to both. In 1999, Tucson, Arizona experienced snow on Easter morning. The highly unusual April snowfall was beautiful and brief, with all signs of snow quickly disappearing as the sun came out and temperatures warmed. A very different natural phenomenon occurred during the afternoon hours of Easter 2010; a devastating earthquake lasting about 1.5 minutes hit northwestern Mexico and southern California. Measuring 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale, the 2010 Easter earthquake inflicted terrible damage, including destruction of water delivery infrastructure in Mexico.