M4.6 Earthquake Strikes Western Panama

Tebario, Panama — A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck western Panama on Friday evening at 5:41 PM Central Time, centered about 7 miles south-southeast of Tebario at a shallow depth of roughly 6 miles.

What happened: The U.S. Geological Survey reports the quake hit in the Pacific coastal region of western Panama, not far from the Gulf of Chiriquí. The shallow depth put the energy release close to the surface.

Impacts: Three felt reports describe weak shaking — the kind that sways hanging lamps and rattles dishes without threatening structures. No damage has been reported, and the USGS issued no tsunami advisory for this event.

What to do:

- Drop, cover, and hold on if you feel the ground move.

- Keep away from windows and glass doors during shaking.

- Afterward, look around for anything that fell or shifted, and expect possible small aftershocks.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 17, 2026.