California Dodges Tsunami Threat After Massive Earthquake in Panama
National Weather Service reassures coastal residents despite initial tsunami warnings for Central and South America.
California weather officials moved to allay fears of a tsunami on Friday, stating that the state’s coast would not be affected by a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Panama. The earthquake triggered tsunami threats across several Central and South American nations.
“A tsunami is NOT expected for California from the recent large earthquake in Panama,” the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office announced via social media. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System had initially flagged potential tsunami threats for coastal regions including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Ecuador.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately nine miles southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community near Panama’s southern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tremors were felt in Panama City, causing buildings to shake and prompting residents to evacuate into the streets while awaiting information on the quake’s impact.
Despite the absence of a tsunami threat from the Panama earthquake, parts of Southern California’s coastline are currently experiencing dangerous surf and flooding conditions. Powerful waves, attributed to the remnants of former Hurricane Rachel, have been impacting the coast. On Friday, sections of the Long Beach Peninsula boardwalk collapsed, and one oceanfront home was left in danger of falling into the surf.