Panama earthquake: Is the tsunami warning still in place? Have aftershocks been detected? Here's what we know so far

A tsunami warning is an official alert that potentially dangerous sea waves may reach coastal areas after an event such as an earthquake. It matters because people may need to leave shorelines quickly and move to safer ground.

After Panama’s earthquake, authorities warned parts of the eastern Pacific. The alert covered Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. El Salvador and Chile also issued alerts for Easter Island. Néstor Luque said waves measuring 3 to 10 feet were expected around Isla Cañas and Los Santos province.

The warning was later lifted, according to reports. Luque said major waves were not expected beyond those areas, although seawater had already reached some homes near Isla Cañas. The lifting meant the alert was no longer active, but authorities continued assessing earthquake damage and conditions.

Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow a main earthquake. They happen as the ground adjusts after the main rupture, and they can continue for hours or longer. Their number and strength can vary greatly.

Panama’s local geosciences institute recorded more than 80 aftershocks after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The largest measured above magnitude 6.0. Other reported aftershocks measured 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2. These were strong enough to keep residents alarmed.

The repeated tremors had an immediate effect on daily life. Some residents evacuated buildings more than once because shaking returned. The continuing aftershocks also complicated rescue work and damage assessments, which were still underway when President José Raúl Mulino warned that the reported toll could change.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake caused widespread damage across central Panama, especially in Herrera, Coclé, Los Santos and Veraguas. At least 27 people suffered minor injuries. Authorities reported no deaths, although President José Raúl Mulino said the toll could change as assessments continued.

Roads developed large fissures, and some sections completely collapsed. Tonosí in Los Santos province was cut off because of road damage. The Church of San Atanasio, a National Historic Heritage Site, was reported to have collapsed. Penonomé’s cathedral suffered partial collapse and cracks, while nearby government and hotel buildings were also damaged.

Homes were damaged too. Former president Ricardo Martinelli shared photographs showing his house in Soná had collapsed. The shaking also sent objects falling inside buildings in Panama City, where residents evacuated as a precaution. Authorities were considering air access for Tonosí while continuing rescue and damage assessments.

A shallow earthquake begins close to Earth’s surface. Its seismic energy therefore travels through less rock before reaching buildings, roads and people. With less distance for the energy to spread and weaken, shaking can be especially intense near the epicentre.

Panama’s earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres. The US Geological Survey placed its epicentre around 10 kilometres from Pitaloza Arriba in central Herrera province. The shallow depth increased the potential for strong shaking near that area, helping explain concentrated damage in several central provinces.

The effects included large road fissures, collapsed road sections and damaged buildings. Shaking was also felt about 200 kilometres away in Panama City, where objects fell and residents rushed outdoors. Shallow depth is one important factor; damage also depends on magnitude, distance, local ground and building strength.

An aftershock is an earthquake that follows a larger main earthquake in the same general region. It results from continuing changes in stress along or near the broken fault. Aftershocks are usually smaller than the main shock, but some can still cause damage or panic.

People may feel many aftershocks because a major earthquake does not instantly settle all the surrounding rock. Different sections adjust at different times. In Panama, more than 80 aftershocks were recorded, including one above magnitude 6.0. Others measured 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2.

The repeated shaking affected residents and emergency work. Some people evacuated buildings more than once. Aftershocks can also reveal that conditions remain unstable, so authorities must keep checking roads, buildings and injured people rather than treating the first earthquake as the end of the danger.

A tsunami can begin when an undersea or coastal earthquake suddenly shifts the seafloor or nearby land. That movement displaces seawater and can generate waves that travel across the ocean. The danger depends on the earthquake’s location, depth, movement and effects on the seabed.

After Panama’s earthquake, authorities issued a warning for Pacific coasts in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Néstor Luque said waves of 3 to 10 feet were expected around Isla Cañas and the southern coast of Los Santos province. Seawater had already reached some homes near Isla Cañas.

The warning was later lifted because major waves were not expected beyond those areas, according to Luque and reports. Alerts from El Salvador and Chile for Easter Island were also lifted. Authorities still had to monitor coastal conditions while assessing the earthquake’s broader damage.

Earthquake magnitude describes the size of an earthquake at its source, rather than simply how strongly people feel it in one place. It uses a logarithmic scale. This means equal numerical steps represent much larger changes in the energy released.

For each increase of one whole magnitude unit, an earthquake releases roughly 32 times more energy. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake therefore releases about 32 times more energy than a magnitude 6.7 earthquake, and about 1,000 times more than a magnitude 5.7 earthquake. These comparisons describe energy, not necessarily identical damage everywhere.

The US Geological Survey initially estimated Panama’s earthquake at magnitude 8.0, then revised it to 7.6 and finally 7.7. Its shallow depth and location also influenced the strong shaking and damage reported across Herrera, Coclé, Los Santos and Veraguas.