DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States is deciphering the Panamanian earthquake through the measures of the USGS and the tsunami alert center, with instructions to American nationals as a secondary focus.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The USGS initially estimated the earthquake at 8.0 before downgrading it to 7.7, according to Fox News, with a 6.6-magnitude aftershock later in the day.
- 02
According to Omar Smith, from Civil Protection, damage is concentrated in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, with several injured and a cracked cathedral in Penonomé.
- 03
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center targeted Panama and eight other countries before deeming the threat eliminated, according to NBC and CBS.
ANALYSIS
Washington, October 10, 2026. The major American media outlets are covering the earthquake that occurred on Friday, October 9, primarily through its measurements, which are provided by the United States Geological Survey. NBC News reports that a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the central coast of Panama, "according to the U.S. Geological Survey", at 1:56 p.m. Eastern Time. Fox News specifies that the USGS initially evaluated the quake at 8.0 before revising it to 7.7. The three networks locate the epicenter near the isolated community of Pitaloza Arriba.
The narrative then follows the aftershocks. NBC and CBS mention a second quake of magnitude 6.6, approximately three hours later according to NBC, two and a half hours according to CBS, with an epicenter about ten kilometers west of Río Grande, on the Pacific coast. NBC adds that seismologists from the University of Panama have recorded over 45 aftershocks, many of which were too weak to be felt.
The tsunami aspect occupies an important place. Fox News details the forecast from the alert center: waves of 3 to 10 feet above sea level were possible on certain Panamanian coasts, 1 to 3 feet in Ecuador, less than one foot in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. CBS notes that the center later deemed the threat eliminated.
Regarding the damage, CBS and NBC cite Omar Smith, from the Panamanian Civil Protection: it is concentrated in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera, and Los Santos, with several injured, including one person hit by debris from a partially collapsed structure in Penonomé, and a cracked cathedral. In Panama City, buildings shook and residents took to the streets, with no reported damage. The testimony of Rosendo Domínguez, 60, is reported: "Everyone is outside, scared." CBS reports President José Raúl Mulino's call not to use the event to "cause alarm or disorder". Fox specifies that the human toll was not yet known.
A final thread is national: the United States Embassy in Panama indicated on X that it is assessing potential damage and seeking to locate its citizens, and invites Americans to register with the Department of State's STEP program. The subject of the canal does not appear in the provided articles.
