On Friday Evening a Shallow M6.0 Earthquake struck near Santiago de Veraguas in Panama.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 10th, 2026.

In the evening of Friday October 9th, 2026, a shallow and strong M6.0 earthquake hit under land 78 kilometer from Santiago de Veraguas in Panama. Earthquakes like this can cause significant economic damage but are usually unlikely to result on large numbers of fatalities. Costa Rica is also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Panama, 78 kilometer (48 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 11:14PM (Panama Time) - Oct 10, 2026 04:14 Universal Time.
Location:	78 km SE of Santiago de Veraguas, Veraguas, Panama. Coordinates 7°30'24"N 80°35'55"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.0 Detected by 50 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Significant economic impact

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 YELLOW (significant). They expect an 38% likelyhood of between 1 and 10 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 91% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 100 million USD.

Roughly 620 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 620 thousand 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.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VII, which corresponds with very strong shaking and likely moderate damage. Roughly 4,010 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 360 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

Panama and Costa Rica are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

Located 78 kilometer (48 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Santiago de Veraguas (Veraguas, Panama) is the nearest significant population center. Santiago de Veraguas experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Panamá is located 204 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). San Miguelito is located 212 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Juan Díaz is located 213 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

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 VIII.

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 56 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 56 people have reported shaking in 24 places in 2 countries (Panama, Costa Rica).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: 22 people.
• San Miguelito, Panamá, Panama: 8 people.
• Balboa, Panamá, Panama: 2 people.
• Nuevo Guararé, Panamá, Panama: 2 people.
• Ancón, Panamá, Panama: 2 people.
• Nueva Gorgona, Panamá, Panama: 2 people.
• La Chorrera, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.
• Parita, Herrera, Panama: 1 person.
• Cermeño, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.
• Las Cumbres, Panamá, Panama: 1 person.

122 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 122 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 79 km (49 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 6.6

This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 2.6 magnitude earthquake hit 12 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

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 are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 9th, 2026, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit 99 km (61 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on October 9th, 2026.

In total, 11 earthquakes with a magnitude of 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 year.

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 21:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000u1cf
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261010_0000077
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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