A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, at a depth of 12.6 kilometers (7.8 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey reported the epicenter was located near the rural community of La Pitaloza, approximately 9 miles southwest of Pitaloza Arriba in Panama’s Herrera province.
The earthquake prompted the U.S. Tsunami Warning System to issue alerts for hazardous waves along the Pacific coasts of nine countries: Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. Authorities additionally noted a tsunami threat to Hawaii, and the Chilean navy issued its own alert. No impact was reported at the Panama Canal, which remained operational following the event.
In the capital of Panama City, two metro lines were temporarily suspended, and buildings were evacuated as tremors were felt as far away as San Jose, Costa Rica. Damage reports included the collapse of a historic building's tower and residential balconies in Penonome. Omar Smith, head of Panama's civil protection agency, stated that impacts occurred in the city of Chitre and along the coast of Los Santos province. Residents in Herrera province reported cracked walls and items falling in homes, though specific casualty figures were not immediately available.
For individual households in affected provinces like Herrera, the impact includes immediate structural concerns, with residents such as 74-year-old Ricardo Brown reporting cracked homes and fears of collapse. While the Panama Canal—a waterway critical to global trade—reported no disruption, the domestic economy saw a pause in normal activity through the suspension of transit and educational services. The broader regional effect involves the monitoring of sea levels for nine nations, where hazardous waves were projected as possible within three hours of the initial quake.
The earthquake occurred just days before Panama was scheduled to conduct a national evacuation drill on Monday, October 12, 2026, intended to test emergency response capabilities. Following the earthquake, Panama's civil protection agency began assessing damage in regional areas near the epicenter. As of Friday afternoon, the specific duration of school closures and the timing for the full restoration of metro services have not been reported. Officials have not yet confirmed when the tsunami warnings will be lifted.