The borough was the hardest hit by the 1985 earthquake with 258 buildings completely crumbled , 143 partially collapsed and 181 were seriously damaged . The result was the loss of 100,000 residents , just in the historic center . Another area with major damage was Colonia Roma with a number of buildings collapsing completely . Even areas that did not suffer significant damage , such as Colonia San Rafael , were affected when homeless from other parts of the borough moved in , or Colonia Condesa , when wealthier residents moved out . Because of the rent situation , most of the damaged structures were never fixed or rebuilt , leading to slums or garbage-strewn vacant lots . As late as the 2000s , buildings damaged from the event have collapsed . In 2003 , the city government expropriated sixty four properties thought to be in danger of sudden collapse due to damage suffered nearly 20 years earlier after a collapse of an apartment building in Colonia Vista Alegre , but in 2010 an apartment building partially collapsed in Colonia San Rafael , due to the same cause . Since the quake , the borough has invested in its own early warning system , which was created for it by UNAM
1985 earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City