what caused the waves last week in panama?

So me and the wife are planning on opening up a new BBQ restaurant down on the main highway, because I love bbq and they have no clue how to do it here.. so at least if no one comes I'll gain a few pounds..

anyway speaking to a friend of mine I asked if he knew anyone who had some equipment for sale and he did. so down to a really nice beach side bar to meet woody the owner of woody's bar... how cool the name... anyway I bought a piece from him and afterwards we sat and talked and he kept twisting my arm to have another drink with him.  the sob.. anyway I liked him a lot and we talked for a hour or so.

I told him I would come back in a week or two to pick it up that way he would have time to cash my check.  while down in the next town a few days afterwards I met another couple, fresh off the boat and we got to talking and I told them to go by and check the place out, well the man said o yeah we went there already, they just got wiped out by some killer waves, I went down and sure enough the place was ripped. they had their bar and house next to each other and there must have been 7 ft of sand in the house and bar.

they said they were hit by about 5 waves must have been 15ft or more, then around 4am they were hit with another round of them..

anyone know what caused it?     also I would like to say what wondeful people live here, people came from all over to help and with only hand tools they moved I would guess over 200 yards of sand. and no one wanted a dime to do it.