Shallow M5.2 Earthquake struck on Saturday Morning 100km from Santiago de Veraguas in Panama.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 31st, 2026. Last updated November 1st, 2026.

In the morning of Saturday October 31st, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit under land 100 kilometer from Santiago de Veraguas in Panama.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Panama, 100 kilometer (62 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 31, 2026 10:50AM (Panama Time) - Oct 31, 2026 15:50 Universal Time.
Location:	100 km SE of Santiago de Veraguas, Veraguas, Panama. Coordinates 7°34'9"N 80°15'17"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.2 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (16 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Panama . Located 100 kilometer (62 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Santiago de Veraguas (Veraguas, Panama) is the nearest significant population center.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Panamá is located 178 km to the north-east. San Miguelito is located 186 km to the north-east. Juan Díaz is located 187 km to the north-east.

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.

Overview of nearby places

6 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 6 smaller aftershocks. A 3.8 magnitude earthquake hit 9 hrs later 84 km (52 mi) west of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 41 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.7 was detected nearby this earthquake.

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 happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 20th, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 291 km (181 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on October 9th, 2026.

In total, 34 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 4 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 01/11/26 09:38 (). 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 us7000tujf
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261031_0000203
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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