A powerful earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, October 9, prompting a widespread tsunami threat along the Pacific coast and shaking buildings in Panama City. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, the seismic event occurred shortly before 1:56 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
The USGS initially recorded the earthquake at a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 before revising its measurement downward to 7.6. The epicenter was located approximately 14 kilometers, or nine miles, southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community in southern Panama. Seismological data indicated that the quake struck at a depth of roughly 33 kilometers, though some regional monitoring agencies reported depths as shallow as 10 kilometers near the southern town of Tonosí.
Tsunami Warnings Issued Across Latin America
Following the initial shock, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued hazardous wave alerts for multiple countries along the eastern Pacific Ocean. Destructive waves were deemed possible within three hours of the quake for coastlines spanning Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. Chile’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service issued its own national tsunami alert, while authorities in Hawaii monitored the situation for potential advisories.
The Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama noted that a secondary 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck shortly after the primary tremor at 1:22 p.m. local time, compounding anxiety across the region.
Widespread Evacuations and Impact in Panama City
The violent shaking was felt hundreds of kilometers away from the epicenter. In Panama City, located roughly 200 kilometers northeast of the epicenter, residents experienced heavy tremors that caused office towers, schools, and homes to sway. Local newspaper La Prensa reported that schools, commercial centers, and residential buildings were swiftly evacuated as panicked citizens rushed into streets and open public squares.
Similar precautionary evacuations were reported in San José, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica, where television broadcasts showed crowds gathering in parks and open spaces to escape high-rise infrastructure.
Emergency Response and Current Status
Despite the high magnitude and broad geographical reach of the earthquake, emergency management agencies in Panama reported no immediate confirmation of major structural collapses, infrastructure failures, or casualties in the immediate aftermath. Local emergency responders, civil protection agencies, and municipal authorities remain on high alert as they conduct damage assessments across remote southern districts and coastal communities.
Because this remains a developing news event, international seismological agencies and local emergency services continue to monitor aftershocks and evaluate the lingering validity of regional tsunami warnings.
