Overview
- A strong earthquake struck Panama on Friday near Pitaloza Arriba and was recorded by the USGS as magnitude 7.6 at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers.
- Early agency reports were revised as seismologists analyzed data, with an initial bulletin listing a higher magnitude and deeper depth before the USGS confirmed M7.6 and the shallower depth.
- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a wide advisory saying dangerous tsunami waves are possible and could reach parts of the Pacific coasts of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico within roughly three hours.
- Eyewitnesses and reporters described panic and mass evacuations in Panama City and shaking felt in Costa Rica, while no confirmed reports of damage or casualties have been published so far.
- Because shallow earthquakes transfer energy more efficiently into the ocean, authorities are continuing to monitor seismic and sea-level data and will update warnings as new measurements and tide observations arrive.