4.3

M4.3 Earthquake 3 km NE of Flores, Panama — October 17, 2026

2026-10-17 16:24:16 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 11:24 AM UTC-5 local

MagnitudeM4.3(mb)
Time16:24 UTC≈ 11:24 AM UTC-5
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates7.506°, -80.385°
Felt by2DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On October 17, 2026 at 16:24 UTC, a magnitude 4.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 3 km NE of Flores, Panama, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 7.5057°, -80.3846°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 43 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 558 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred 6 days ago 3 km NW of Flores, Panama. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 20 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 7.51°, -80.38°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.3 earthquake near 3 km NE of Flores, Panama

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.3 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
7.5057°N
-80.3846°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.4
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000u30p
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
285
Stations Used
21
Azimuthal Gap
123.0°
Min Station Distance
1.737°
RMS Residual
0.61 sec
Last Updated
2026-10-17 16:57:04 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.3 earthquake near Flores, Panama?

The magnitude 4.3 earthquake that struck 3 km NE of Flores, Panama on October 17, 2026 at 16:24 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Is this the same earthquake as the M5.0 one earlier?

No. This magnitude 4.3 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred earlier 3 km NW of Flores, Panama. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.3 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000u30p). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 17, 2026). M4.3 Earthquake 3 km NE of Flores, Panama — October 17, 2026. Retrieved October 17, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000u30p/