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Tsunami threat for Panama has passed, warning center says

Latest: Sinaproc now asks people to stay away from beaches and river mouths as a precaution. Read the coast advice.

For the full earthquake story, see Strong earthquake shakes Panama.

Tsunami: warning center says threat has passed

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in its final message, at 2:39 p.m. Panama time, that based on all available data the tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed and there is no longer a tsunami threat. It advised people to stay observant and take normal care near the sea, and said minor sea-level changes may occur on some coasts near the earthquake over the next few hours. We have not found any report of observed tsunami waves in Panama.

Even so, Sinaproc deputy director Malitzie Rivera cited reports of the sea pulling back in Chiriquí and Veraguas and asked coastal residents to move to higher ground as a precaution, and Government Minister Dinoska Montalvo asked people to stay away from rivers and beaches (TVN). The U.S. Embassy's alert also advises staying away from the coast.

Before that, the PTWC's second and third messages, at 1:31 p.m. and 1:51 p.m., had forecast possible waves of 1 to 3 metres above the tide level along some coasts of Panama. Sinaproc director Omar Smith told Telemetro earlier in the afternoon that because the quake was on land, a tsunami was possibly not expected.

If you are on the coast, stay away from beaches and river mouths for the rest of the day, as Sinaproc and the Government Minister have advised, and follow local authorities.

What to do now

  • Expect aftershocks. If you feel shaking: drop, cover and hold on. Get under a sturdy table or against an inside wall, away from windows. Do not use lifts, and do not run outside while the ground is moving.
  • Stay away from beaches and river mouths for now, as Sinaproc, Minister Montalvo and the U.S. Embassy advise, and follow local authorities.
  • Check your home. Look for new cracks in walls, columns, stairs and balconies. If you see any, leave and ask your building administration (PH) or landlord for a structural check before going back in.
  • Smell gas? Do not switch lights on or off or light anything. Close the tank or main valve if you can do it safely, open windows, leave and call 911.
  • Emergency numbers: 911. Sinaproc also lists 520-4426, 520-4427 and 520-4429, and a 24-hour WhatsApp, 6998-4809.
  • Tell family you are safe by text or messaging, and keep calls short so lines stay free.
  • Contact your embassy if you need help. US citizens can enrol in the State Department's STEP programme at step.state.gov to get alerts. Most other embassies run a similar registration or alert service.
  • Insurance: photograph any damage before you clean up or move things, and call your insurer or broker early to open a claim.
  • Fill a few containers with water, charge your phone and power banks, and keep a torch and your documents close.

Sources

  • Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NOAA) - Final tsunami threat message 4: threat has passed; no longer a tsunami threat; minor sea-level changes possible - 9 Oct 2026, 2:39 p.m. Panama
  • Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NOAA) - Tsunami threat message 3: waves of 1 to 3 m still possible on some coasts of Panama - 9 Oct 2026, 1:51 p.m. Panama
  • Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NOAA) - Tsunami threat message 2: magnitude 7.6; waves of 1 to 3 m possible on some coasts of Panama - 9 Oct 2026, 1:31 p.m. Panama
  • Telemetro Reporta - Omar Smith: quake on land, tsunami possibly not expected; aftershocks likely - 9 Oct 2026, 1:42 p.m. Panama
  • Sinaproc - Emergency lines 911, 520-4426/4427/4429, WhatsApp 6998-4809; Third National Evacuation Drill on Mon 12 Oct - 7 Oct 2026, checked 9 Oct
  • US Department of State - STEP enrolment for US citizens abroad - accessed 9 Oct 2026
  • TVN - Press conference: Sinaproc deputy director Malitzie Rivera on the sea pulling back and moving to higher ground; Minister Dinoska Montalvo on staying away from rivers and beaches - 9 Oct 2026, 3:38 p.m. Panama, updated 4:04 p.m.
  • U.S. Embassy in Panama - Natural disaster alert: stay away from the coast, contacts - 9 Oct 2026