The recent earthquakes in Mexico came at an unfortunate time, considering that so much U.S. aid personnel are tied up in Texas, Florida and now Puerto Rico following three hurricanes. The state of Puebla, just south of Mexico State (formerly called Distrito Federal) is densely inhabited. In a series of 10 quakes last month, the most terrifying one occurred on Sept. 19 near the city of Puebla, affecting 3 million residents.