Earthquake.now

M6.6 Earthquake near Río Grande, Panama — 09 October 2026

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.6 was recorded near Río Grande, Panama on , with an epicentre 14 km west of Río Grande, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 12 earthquakes recorded in Panama in the preceding 30 days.

6.6 Strong

Time (UTC): 2026-10-09 20:25:39

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 6.6 (strong)

Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 7.7176, -81.4687

Location: 14 km W of Río Grande, Panama

Country: Panama

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake radiates roughly 119,787 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 673, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 14:59 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.

This event was shallower than 100% of the 51 earthquakes recorded in Panama in our catalogue and stronger than 96% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 7.7176, -81.4687 — 14 km west of Río Grande. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake 24 km east-southeast of here on 09 October 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are El Cortezo (91 km east-southeast), Boca Chica (100 km west-southwest), Arenas (116 km south) and Tobobe (153 km north).

Why the 10 km depth matters

At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

50 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 8.0 event near Pitaloza Arriba on 09 October 2026. This M6.6 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.

10 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 6 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the October 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Panama during October 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Panama

All recorded earthquakes in Panama →

Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 6 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Río Grande?

It measured magnitude 6.6 — a strong earthquake. A magnitude 6.6 earthquake radiates roughly 119,787 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Río Grande?

The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Río Grande earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 6.6 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Río Grande happen?

09 October 2026 at 20:25 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

How often do earthquakes happen near Río Grande?

50 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 8.0 event near Pitaloza Arriba on 09 October 2026. This M6.6 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.