A powerful earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday afternoon, shaking buildings across the Central American nation and triggering tsunami alerts along portions of the Pacific coastline spanning Central and South America.
The earthquake occurred at approximately 1:56 p.m. Eastern Time, or shortly before 1 p.m. local time, along the Pacific side of the country, according to reports from the U.S. Geological Survey cited by ABC News and FOX Weather. Discrepancies emerged regarding the precise strength of the temblor: ABC News and NBC News reported that the USGS measured the event at a magnitude of 7.7, while FOX Weather and The Guardian stated the agency assessed it at magnitude 7.6. NBC News reported that the earthquake originated at a depth of six miles.
Epicenter and Seismic Impact
The epicenter of the quake was situated in southern Panama near the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba. News organizations cited slightly varying estimates from the USGS regarding the exact distance, ranging from six miles to about nine miles west-southwest or southwest of the settlement. The Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama indicated the tremor originated near the southern town of Tonosí, according to The Guardian.
Multiple seismic events followed the primary rupture. The office of the president of Panama stated that more than a dozen aftershocks were documented following the initial temblor, ABC News reported. The University of Panama recorded a magnitude 6.0 earthquake shortly afterward at 1:22 p.m., while NBC News reported two additional tremors registering magnitudes of 5.5 in Bajo Corral and 5.8 in El Cacao.
The event ranks as the third-strongest earthquake recorded globally in 2026, trailing two magnitude 7.8 quakes that struck the Philippines on June 7 and Indonesia on Aug. 14, according to FOX Weather. Panama sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an active belt of seismic faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean where the vast majority of the world’s earthquakes take place, NBC News noted.
Evacuations and Regional Tsunami Threats
Strong shaking extended hundreds of miles from the epicenter to the capital, Panama City. Skyscrapers and other structures swayed, driving alarmed residents into the streets, according to reports from The Associated Press and Reuters. Local newspaper La Prensa reported that homes, educational facilities and commercial buildings were evacuated nationwide due to the intense earth movement.
Omar Smith of Panama’s National Civil Protection Service confirmed that structural impact was concentrated across the central provinces of Los Santos, Herrera and Veraguas, NBC News reported.
“We felt it very strongly. It knocked things over in the kitchen, but we’re okay, though we’re very scared,” Herrera province resident Rosendo Domínguez told The Associated Press by telephone. “Everyone is outside, scared.”
In response to the emergency, the Panamanian president’s office announced that operations at all government administrative offices and schools were suspended, according to ABC News.
The shaking prompted regional maritime alerts. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System warned that hazardous tsunami waves could impact coastlines within several hours, naming Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, according to ABC News and The Guardian. The Tsunami Warning Center estimated wave heights between 3 and 9 feet were possible along Panamanian shores, with waves up to 3 feet possible in Ecuador and under a foot forecast elsewhere, FOX Weather reported. The agency confirmed there is no tsunami threat facing the U.S.
Emergency officials across Central America continue to assess the full extent of structural damage and potential casualties as aftershocks persist throughout the region.
