Shallow M5.4 Earthquake hit 184km from Panamá in Panama on Friday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 9th, 2026. Last updated October 10th, 2026.

A shallow and significant M5.4 earthquake struck under land 184 kilometer from Panamá in Panama in the evening of Friday October 9th, 2026. Around 460 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Panama, 184 kilometer (114 mi) south of Panamá. 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:	Oct 9, 2026 06:12PM (Panama Time) - Oct 9, 2026 23:12 Universal Time.
Location:	184 km south of Panamá, Panama. Coordinates 7°26'12"N 80°5'48"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 693 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.022 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (1 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 460 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 460 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 40 people were exposed to level VII. At this level, very strong shaking and likely moderate damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 310 thousand) live in an area exposed to level IV, where light shaking and likely no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Panama .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Panama . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Santiago de Veraguas in Veraguas, Panama. Santiago de Veraguas is located 122 kilometer (76 mi) south-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Santiago de Veraguas is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Panamá is located 184 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). San Miguelito is located 192 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Juan Díaz is located 192 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).

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

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VII. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 5 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within 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:

• Panamá, Panamá, Panama: 2 people.
• Pedasí, Los Santos, Panama: 1 person.
• Chilibre, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.
• San Miguelito, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.

122 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 122 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit 2 hrs later 79 km (49 mi) west of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Roughly 12 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.6 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

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 October 9th, 2026, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit 154 km (96 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on October 9th, 2026.

In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 6 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 10/10/26 22:08 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000u1ay
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261009_0000361
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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