Shallow M5.5 AFTERSHOCK struck on Friday Afternoon near Santiago de Veraguas in Panama.

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

In the early afternoon of Friday October 9th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.5 aftershock hit under land 96 kilometer from Santiago de Veraguas in Panama. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 620 thousand people.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Panama, 96 kilometer (60 mi) south-east of Santiago de Veraguas in Veraguas. 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 01:22PM (Panama Time) - Oct 9, 2026 18:22 Universal Time.
Location:	96 km SE of Santiago de Veraguas, Veraguas, Panama. Coordinates 7°35'10"N 80°17'19"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 207 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 .
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 (17 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 620 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 620 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 720 people were exposed to level VII. At this level, very strong shaking and likely moderate damage can be expected. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 510 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Panama .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Panama . Santiago de Veraguas in Veraguas, Panama is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 96 kilometer (60 mi) south-east of Santiago de Veraguas. The intensity of shaking and damage in Santiago de Veraguas is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Panamá is located 178 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). San Miguelito is located 186 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Juan Díaz is located 187 km to the north-east (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 graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.

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 3 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 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:

• San Miguelito, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.
• Chilibre, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.
• Panamá, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 7.7 earthquake struck 53 km (33 mi) west in advance of this 5.5 earthquake around 26 mins earlier.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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.

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 02:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000u18t
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261009_0000266
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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