A shallow and significant M5.6 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 185 kilometer from David, Panama in the evening of Wednesday December 17th, 2025. Around 0.9 million people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 109 kilometers (68 mi) off the coast of Panama, 185 kilometer south of David in Chiriquí. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Dec 17, 2025 06:07PM (Panama Time) - Dec 17, 2025 23:07 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 185 km south of David, Chiriquí, Panama. Coordinates 6°46'24"N 82°34'11"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 50 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 0.9 million people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 0.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
An estimated 10 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 0.9 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Panama , around 0.9 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Costa Rica , around 60 thousand people.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 23,530 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 895,100 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 10 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Panama . Pedregal in Chiriquí, Panama is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 179 kilometer (111 mi) south of Pedregal. The intensity of shaking and damage in Pedregal is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 179 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Pedregal Chiriquí, Panama. |
III
Weak |
| 185 km (115 mi) N from epicenter |
David Chiriquí, Panama. |
III
Weak |
| 194 km (121 mi) N from epicenter |
La Concepción Chiriquí, Panama. |
III
Weak |
| 229 km (142 mi) NE from epicenter |
Santiago de Veraguas Veraguas, Panama. |
III
Weak |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Changuinola Bocas del Toro, Panama. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in one place in Panama.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama: 2 people.
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. Just 3 days after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.3 was detected 67 km (42 mi) west of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 3 magnitude earthquake hit 3 mins earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 mins earlier Dec 17, 2025 06:04PM (Panama Time) | 97 km (60 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.6 |
Dec 17, 2025 06:07PM (Panama Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
3 days later Dec 20, 2025 03:35PM (Panama Time) | 67 km (42 mi) W from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since July 14th, 2025, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 70 km (43 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on October 20th, 2022.
In total, 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 7 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/01/26 01:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000rvkl
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251217_0000366
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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