PANAMA · DISASTER
Key Facts
- —The country Panama is a Central American country that uses the US dollar and runs the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific.
- —What happened Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday 9 October that the State Department is rapidly mobilizing resources and personnel to help Panama.
- —Why now The Panama quake, magnitude 7.7, struck south-central Panama at 12:56 p.m. local time on Friday, the US Geological Survey says.
- —The damage The Health Ministry lists 17 affected health facilities, and Education Minister Ventura Vega says 188 schools were hit nationwide.
- —Other help CAF, a Latin American development bank, donated US$250,000 and offered a disaster credit line of up to US$50 million.
- —For Americans A State Department hotline runs 24 hours a day: +1-202-501-4444 from abroad, +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.
- —Still open Rubio’s statement did not say how many people the US will send, what they will do or when they will arrive.
The United States is mobilizing staff and resources to help after the Panama quake of Friday 9 October, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. He said the State Department acted at the request of Panama’s government, which runs the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The Panama quake damaged hospitals, schools and a church tower, and closed classrooms across the country. For US readers, Panama matters as a canal partner, a popular retirement destination and an airline hub linking the US with South America.
How Strong Was the Panama Quake
The US Geological Survey (USGS), the federal agency that tracks earthquakes worldwide, put the Panama quake at magnitude 7.7. Its epicentre lay 12 kilometres west-south-west of Pitaloza Arriba, at a depth of about 12.6 kilometres.
It struck at 12:56 p.m. Panama time on Friday, which was 1:56 p.m. in New York. The University of Panama’s Institute of Geosciences first measured 7.2 and later revised its own figure to 7.5.
Strong aftershocks followed on Friday, including magnitude 6.6 at 3:25 p.m. and 6.0 at 11:14 p.m. local time, USGS data show. Panama’s institute had counted 107 aftershocks by just after 6 p.m. on Friday.
The USGS loss model, called PAGER, issued a red alert for economic losses, estimating them at 3% to 30% of Panama’s gross domestic product. The model notes that past events at this level needed a national or international response.
That range is a computer estimate, not a damage count. The first hours, including the Pacific tsunami alerts, are covered in this earlier report on the 7.7 quake.
What Rubio Announced
Rubio, US secretary of state since January 2025, posted the message on X and the State Department issued it as a press statement. “The United States stands with the people of Panama,” he wrote.
“At the request of the Panamanian government, the State Department is rapidly mobilizing resources and personnel to assist,” the statement said. It gave no number of staff, no list of equipment and no arrival date.
The statement also pointed affected Americans to a consular hotline open 24 hours a day. The numbers are +1-202-501-4444 from abroad and +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.
The US Embassy in Panama City said it was checking on the welfare of visitors and staff. It urged US citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), the State Department’s free alert service.
What the Panama Quake Damaged
Panama’s Health Ministry (Minsa) reported 17 health facilities affected by the Panama quake on Friday: six hospitals, eight health centres and three primary-care centres. It said it had no reports of deaths or of people seriously hurt.
At Hospital Santo Tomás, a large public hospital in Panama City, the ministry found structural damage on the fifth floor of the trauma area. The Oriente Chiricano hospital in San Félix, Chiriquí province, was fully evacuated.
Education Minister Ventura Vega said 188 schools across the country were affected, and classes stay suspended nationwide until further notice. He planned to visit Coclé, Herrera and Veraguas on Saturday to judge whether pupils can return on Monday 12 October.
In Penonomé, the capital of Coclé province, part of the church tower fell and a hotel was badly damaged. President José Raúl Mulino, a conservative lawyer in office since July 2024, visited the town and asked people to stay calm.
Mulino promised more water, food and diapers for the affected areas from Saturday 10 October. He said the National Police were leading coordination and security on the ground.
Who Else Is Offering Help
CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, donated US$250,000 for humanitarian needs. It also offered a credit line of up to US$50 million for natural disasters, channelled in coordination with Panama’s Economy Ministry.
“Today we stand with the people of Panama, who have been affected by the earthquake,” said CAF’s executive president, Sergio Díaz-Granados. Panama uses the US dollar, so these sums need no conversion.
Economy Minister Felipe Chapman’s ministry has contacted the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CAF, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It also reached out to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), but Chapman gave no amounts or terms.
Mulino thanked several Latin American presidents who called him on Friday to offer help.
What It Means for You
Travellers can fly again after the Panama quake, since Tocumen airport reopened on Friday afternoon and Copa Airlines resumed flights. Copa’s parent company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Copa lets passengers booked for 9 or 10 October rebook free of charge for travel until 31 October. The airline warned that delays and schedule changes were possible.
For shipping, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which runs the waterway, said operations continued normally on Friday. It later reported minor damage to four office buildings on the Pacific side, with no effect on ship transits.
Americans in Panama can call the State Department hotline and follow the embassy’s alerts. The civil protection agency, Sinaproc, asks people to avoid rumours and stay away from visibly damaged buildings as aftershocks continue.
What Is Not Known
The State Department’s statement did not say which teams it is sending, how many people, or when they will land. Panama has not published a final count of injured people or damaged homes.
Officials have not put a price on Panama quake damage, and the USGS range is only a model. The magnitude also differs by agency, with the USGS at 7.7 and Panama’s institute at 7.5.
No deaths had been reported by Friday evening, but figures can still change as teams reach rural areas. It is also unclear whether schools will reopen on Monday.
More: Panama news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the United States promise after the Panama quake?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department is rapidly mobilizing resources and personnel to assist, at the request of Panama’s government. He did not say how many people or what equipment would be sent.
How strong was the Panama quake?
The US Geological Survey measured magnitude 7.7 on Friday 9 October, at a depth of about 12.6 kilometres. Panama’s Institute of Geosciences revised its own reading to 7.5.
Can I still fly to Panama after the quake?
Tocumen airport reopened on Friday afternoon after the Panama quake, and Copa Airlines resumed flights, though delays were possible. Copa allows free changes for trips scheduled on 9 or 10 October.
How can Americans in Panama get help?
The State Department hotline runs 24 hours a day at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad and +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada. The US Embassy also asks citizens to enroll in its STEP alert service.
Sources: US Department of State, press statement by Secretary Marco Rubio, “Earthquake in Panama”, 9 October 2026; US Geological Survey, M 7.7 event page, 9 October 2026; US Geological Survey, PAGER loss estimate, 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Minsa, 17 health facilities), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Meduca, 188 schools), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Mulino in Penonomé), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (CAF aid, MEF talks), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (US Embassy), 9 October 2026; La Prensa (Chapman, international lenders), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Copa, Tocumen), 9 October 2026; La Prensa (Panama Canal Authority, four buildings), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Institute of Geosciences, 7.5), 9 October 2026; TVN (Panama Canal Authority), 9 October 2026; Panamá América (Institute of Geosciences, 107 aftershocks), 9 October 2026; La Estrella de Panamá (Penonomé church and hotel, Sinaproc advice), 9 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief