PANAMA HIT by 7.7 EARTHQUAKE — 80+ AFTERSHOCKS, Town Completely Cut Off

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Panama on Friday, October 9, 2026, damaging buildings, cracking roads and triggering tsunami warnings across parts of the Pacific. The shallow earthquake struck shortly before 1 p.m. local time, shaking communities across the country and reaching as far as neighboring Colombia.

Penonomé and other communities in central and southern Panama reported structural damage, including collapsed church buildings and damaged homes. In Los Santos and Veraguas provinces, severe road damage left the town of Tonosí cut off by land, complicating access for emergency responders. Authorities reported injuries but no confirmed deaths as of Friday evening, while aftershocks continued.

Tsunami warnings and alerts were issued across several Pacific coastlines before being lifted. Panama’s international airport temporarily suspended operations, classes were halted nationwide, and officials began assessing damage to infrastructure and historic sites. The Panama Canal continued operating normally as technical teams inspected its facilities.

In this video, we examine the earthquake’s impact on central Panama, the damage to roads and historic buildings, the continuing aftershocks, and the international assistance offered to the country.

Scientists have linked the earthquake to fault systems beneath southern Panama, an area less commonly associated with the country’s strongest seismic events.

Global Weather covers natural disasters and extreme weather events as they develop, using sourced reporting and avoiding unsupported speculation.
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