# M4.5 Earthquake Strikes Near Río Grande, Panama

**BREAKING NEWS — Sunday, October 18, 2026, 1:51 PM CT**

Río Grande, Panama — A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the ground just northeast of Río Grande, Panama, this morning at 11:12 AM Central time, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

**What happened:** The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) right by the town of Río Grande on Panama's Pacific coast, roughly 11 miles west of the Penonomé area. A shallow quake like this one can be felt more strongly at the surface than a deeper quake of the same size.

**Impacts:** The USGS has not issued a tsunami warning for this quake, and no felt reports, injuries, or damage reports have come in so far. Early, low reports are normal in the first hours after a quake — officials in the region are checking.

**What to do:**

- If you feel shaking, drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy table, and hold on until it stops.

- Stay indoors and away from windows during shaking. If you are outside, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.

- After the shaking stops, check for hazards — gas leaks, damaged wiring, cracked walls — before going back inside.

- Expect aftershocks. Smaller tremors often follow the main quake in the hours and days ahead.

*Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 18, 2026.*