{"id":1456,"date":"2026-10-30T23:58:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T04:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/constructhubs.com\/?p=1456"},"modified":"2026-11-05T09:54:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T14:54:29","slug":"list-of-earthquakes-in-panama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/constructhubs.com\/en\/list-of-earthquakes-in-panama\/","title":{"rendered":"List of Earthquakes in Panama: The Strongest Earthquakes and How Often the Ground Shakes Each Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

This list of earthquakes in Panama brings together the strongest earthquakes recorded in the country since 1621, with their date, area, magnitude, and effects.<\/strong> The strongest measured with modern instruments is the October 9, 2026, Azuero earthquake, magnitude 7.7. In addition, the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama records anywhere from several hundred to more than a thousand earthquakes each year, most of them imperceptible and concentrated in Chiriqu\u00ed.<\/p>\n

Unlike our history of earthquakes in Panama<\/a>, which tells the story of the most significant events, this page presents the list of earthquakes in Panama as a reference: the strongest earthquakes, annual statistics by province, why magnitudes vary by source, and where to check today’s earthquakes.<\/p>\n

How many earthquakes does Panama have each year?<\/h2>\n

To complete the list of earthquakes in Panama, you also need to look at the small ones. According to seismological records from the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama, published by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), the country recorded between 424 and 1,341 earthquakes a year between 2010 and 2013. The vast majority are smaller than magnitude 5 and are not felt.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Province<\/th>\n2010<\/th>\n2011<\/th>\n2012<\/th>\n2013<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
National total<\/strong><\/td>\n424<\/strong><\/td>\n1,341<\/strong><\/td>\n747<\/strong><\/td>\n1,293<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chiriqu\u00ed<\/td>\n271<\/td>\n680<\/td>\n173<\/td>\n612<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bocas del Toro<\/td>\n84<\/td>\n156<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n187<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Veraguas<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n164<\/td>\n168<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Panama<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n241<\/td>\n127<\/td>\n98<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Col\u00f3n<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n128<\/td>\n98<\/td>\n76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dari\u00e9n<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n71<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Los Santos<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n57<\/td>\n71<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Herrera<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cocl\u00e9<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
Source: seismological records from the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama, published by INEC (table 121-04). Chiriqu\u00ed and Bocas del Toro include the Ng\u00e4be-Bugl\u00e9 Comarca; Col\u00f3n includes the Guna Yala Comarca; Dari\u00e9n includes the Ember\u00e1 Comarca.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two conclusions stand out. Chiriqu\u00ed is, year after year, the province with the most earthquakes<\/strong>, because of its proximity to the Panama Fracture Zone: in 2010 and 2011, it accounted for more than half of the total. And the number varies widely from year to year, because it depends on aftershock sequences and on the coverage of seismic stations.<\/p>\n

List of the strongest earthquakes in Panama<\/h2>\n

This list of earthquakes in Panama includes the earthquakes that caused damage, casualties, or tsunamis, as well as those of magnitude 6 or greater that affected the country. It is ordered from most recent to oldest.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Date<\/th>\nArea<\/th>\nMagnitude<\/th>\nMain effects<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Oct 12, 2026<\/td>\nOff Coiba (aftershock)<\/td>\n6.1<\/td>\nFelt lightly in the capital<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 9, 2026<\/td>\nOff Coiba (aftershock)<\/td>\n6.6 (USGS) \/ 6.9 (IGC)<\/td>\nThe strongest aftershock of the Azuero earthquake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 9, 2026<\/td>\nAzuero Peninsula<\/td>\n7.7 (USGS) \/ 7.5 (IGC)<\/td>\n1 dead, 27 injured, more than 20,000 affected, and more than 400 aftershocks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 25, 2019<\/td>\nPuerto Armuelles, Chiriqu\u00ed<\/td>\n6.5<\/td>\nAt least 28 homes affected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 12, 2019<\/td>\nPuerto Armuelles, Chiriqu\u00ed<\/td>\n6.1<\/td>\n5 injured and 2 houses collapsed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 4, 2004<\/td>\nBorder with Costa Rica<\/td>\n6.1<\/td>\nLimited damage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 25, 2003<\/td>\nPuerto Armuelles, Chiriqu\u00ed<\/td>\n6.5<\/td>\n2 dead, 75 injured, and about 600 homes affected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 30, 2002<\/td>\nBurica Peninsula<\/td>\n6.5<\/td>\nModerate damage and 11 to 15 injured<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 8, 2000<\/td>\nBorder with Colombia<\/td>\n6.5<\/td>\nModerate damage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 4, 1991<\/td>\nBocas del Toro<\/td>\n6.2<\/td>\nAftershock of the Lim\u00f3n earthquake; 36 injured<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 22, 1991<\/td>\nLim\u00f3n (Costa Rica) and Bocas del Toro<\/td>\n7.7<\/td>\n79 dead in Panama, tsunami, and coastal subsidence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 3, 1983<\/td>\nBorder with Costa Rica<\/td>\n7.3<\/td>\n6 dead and moderate damage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 20, 1971<\/td>\nGulf of Panama (San Miguel or Las Perlas fault)<\/td>\n5.6\u20135.8<\/td>\nFelt strongly in the capital; damage to Gorgas Hospital<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 5, 1941<\/td>\nBorder with Costa Rica<\/td>\n7.6<\/td>\n6 dead and tsunami<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 18, 1934<\/td>\nPuerto Armuelles, Chiriqu\u00ed<\/td>\n7.6\u20137.7<\/td>\nInjuries and damage in Puerto Armuelles and David<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 26, 1916<\/td>\nBocas del Toro<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\nTsunami on Carenero Island<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 7, 1882<\/td>\nGulf of San Blas (Caribbean)<\/td>\n7.9 (IGC)<\/td>\nTsunami in San Blas; 75 to 250 dead depending on the source<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 2, 1621<\/td>\nPanam\u00e1 Viejo (Pedro Miguel Fault)<\/td>\n6.4\u20136.9<\/td>\nSerious damage to stone buildings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
Sources: USGS, Institute of Geosciences at the University of Panama, Sinaproc, the NGDC Significant Earthquake Database, and the studies cited at the end. Magnitudes before 1960 are estimates.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Historical studies by the University of Costa Rica also document strong earthquakes in Panama’s Caribbean region in 1798, 1822, 1873, 1904, 1909, and 1930, with no estimated magnitude. To learn the story behind the major ones, see our articles on the Pedro Miguel Fault<\/a> (1621) and the 2026 Azuero earthquake<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why an earthquake’s magnitude varies by source<\/h2>\n

When reviewing any list of earthquakes in Panama, it is normal to find different magnitudes for the same earthquake. There are three reasons:<\/p>\n