A powerful earthquake near Panama drew Hawaii emergency officials' attention early Friday morning, as they shared preliminary tsunami information and said it was too early to determine whether Hawaii faced a threat. The quake, initially estimated at magnitude 8.0, struck at 7:56 a.m. HST with its epicenter near Pitaloza Arriba, Panama, prompting concern even as the real danger stayed thousands of miles away in Central America.
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency posted the preliminary parameters on social media shortly after the quake, saying a tsunami threat existed for parts of the Pacific closer to the earthquake but that it was too early to determine whether Hawaii itself faced any danger. According to Hawaii EMA
, officials listed 7:05 p.m. HST as the earliest estimated time for a potential threat to Hawaii and said they would provide further statements hourly or sooner as the situation developed.
Big Island Video News
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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later reported that there was no tsunami threat to the state, according to Kauai Now. The warning center assesses tsunami threats using seismic and oceanographic data, including tide-gauge readings, according to Wikipedia. Hoodline also covered a jolt near the Loyalty Islands in July.
Quake Magnitude Revised Downward as Full Data Comes In
The USGS reported the earthquake at magnitude 7.7, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cited 7.6; the hypocenter was at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, or about 6.2 miles, near Pitaloza Arriba. Such revisions are common after major Pacific earthquakes, since initial automated magnitude estimates are typically refined once seismologists analyze complete waveform data. Shallow, high-magnitude quakes like this one tend to produce especially violent shaking directly above the rupture zone, even as their offshore tsunami potential gets reassessed.
Central America Faces the Real Coastal Danger
While Hawaii's scare ended quickly, the threat stayed very real for countries much closer to the epicenter. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center forecast possible hazardous waves along some regional coasts, reports The Watchers. The same outlet's seismological population exposure models estimated that roughly 36,000 people experienced severe ground shaking near the epicenter in southern Panama, while more than 500,000 residents felt very strong shaking.
On the ground, the quake prompted evacuations of offices and buildings in Panama, according to the Express.
Unreinforced brick and adobe block construction are considered vulnerable to heavy ground shaking in the region, per the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. That vulnerability underscores the potential for heavy shaking to damage buildings.
For Hawaii, Friday's episode fits a now-familiar rhythm: preliminary tsunami information, a tense waiting period, and an update that no threat existed for the state. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center considers oceanographic data when assessing tsunami threats.
