Daily Earthquakes, Storms, Fires & Floods Report — October 23, 2026

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Oct 23, 2026

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Tibet killed at least 16 people, and Typhoon Champi shut down most of Taiwan. This report covers the 24 hours from 7:22 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 22, to 7:22 a.m. EDT on Friday, October 23, 2026 (11:22 UTC to 11:22 UTC).

At a glance

It was a busy day, led by a deadly earthquake on the Tibetan Plateau and a typhoon near Taiwan.

• Earthquakes: a magnitude 7.0 quake struck Nagqu in Xizang (Tibet), China, killing at least 16. A magnitude 5.7 quake hit the southern Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy.
• Storms: Typhoon Champi is moving slowly past eastern Taiwan and Japan’s southern islands. Hurricane Vance is strengthening rapidly far off Mexico.
• Fires: the US is at its lowest national preparedness level. Two fires in Washington and Michigan threaten homes or structures.
• Floods: flash floods hit about 80 homes and 50 RVs in Hurricane, Utah, which declared a local emergency.
• Volcanoes: New Zealand raised the alert at Whakaari/White Island to level 3.
• Official warnings come from national weather services and local authorities. Follow their advice first.

Earthquakes

The magnitude 7.0 Nagqu earthquake was the day’s deadliest event and the strongest in China since January 2024, Al Jazeera reports. Twenty-two quakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were recorded; the ten largest are below.

What stands out

• Nagqu, Tibet. The quake struck at 10:33 p.m. Beijing time in Baqen County, Xinhua says. All outlets report 16 dead. Injury counts differ: 32 (Xinhua, as of 2:25 a.m.), 46 (CGTN) and up to 65 (Reuters, via Al Jazeera). CGTN reports 339 houses collapsed or damaged. More than 1,600 rescuers were sent to the area, about 4,800 m (15,700 ft) up, where roads are blocked by rockfalls (CBS News). USGS rates it orange for expected losses. Six aftershocks of 4.5 or more followed.
• Italy. The 5.7 off the Aeolian Islands followed a 4.9 nearby 28 minutes earlier. USGS rates expected losses green, its lowest level.
• No quake triggered a tsunami flag in the USGS catalog.

USGS counted 252 earthquakes of all sizes worldwide in the window. No magnitude 6 or larger occurred in the previous 24 hours. Source: USGS catalog search, run at 11:22 UTC on October 23.

Storms

Typhoon Champi is the only tropical cyclone threatening land. The Atlantic and Central Pacific have no active storms.

Josephine, a subtropical storm off the US East Coast, became post-tropical. NHC issued its final advisory at 21:00 UTC on October 22, with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h), 235 mi (380 km) ESE of Nantucket (NHC). It still brings coastal flooding and dangerous surf to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts.

Typhoon Champi: Taiwan and Japan’s southern islands

Figures below are from the advisories and reports listed; the newest advisory replaces them.

• Taiwan warnings. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) expanded its land warning to 19 regions on October 22. A sea warning covers the Bashi Channel and waters around Taiwan (Taipei Times).
• Timing. CWA says the center is closest on the night of October 23 to early October 24 and may pass within 80 km (50 mi) of the coast. Landfall “could not be ruled out.”
• Rain and sea. CWA forecasts 600 to 900 mm (24 to 35 in) in the northern and northeastern mountains through October 24, and waves over 10 m (33 ft).
• Disruption. Work and school were cancelled in every municipality except Kinmen. More than 600 flights were cancelled for October 23 (The Nation, citing Taiwan’s transport ministry). Hualien was asked to evacuate residents below the Wanli Creek landslide dam.
• Japan. All Ishigaki Airport flights were cancelled on October 23, and Yaeyama ferries are cancelled through October 24 (News On Japan). Miyako’s Irabu and Ikema bridges closed on the evening of October 22.
• Toll. No storm deaths had been officially confirmed in the reports reviewed. Taiwan’s Coast Guard found a free diver dead off Siaoliouciou after a rip current; it has not been officially tied to the storm.

Fires

US fire activity is light, though the year’s totals remain well above average. Figures are from the NIFC situation reportdated Thursday, October 22, 7:30 a.m. MDT.

Fires to know

• Sisi, Washington: 4,743 acres, 34% contained; residences threatened.
• Ridge, Michigan: 466 acres, 50% contained; structures threatened.
• Grasshopper, Oregon: 93,972 acres, 98% contained, the largest active fire listed.

Elsewhere, GDACS lists new forest fires in Australia, Botswana, China and South Sudan, all at its lowest (green) alert level.

Floods

The most damaging new flood hit southwestern Utah. One to two inches of rain fell in an hour along Gould’s Wash in Hurricane, Utah, on Thursday, according to a National Weather Service hydrologist. The city declared a local emergency after flooding hit some 80 homes and 50 RVs at the Willow Wind RV Park. Zion National Park closed the Narrows and all slot canyons. No injuries were reported (Salt Lake Tribune).

Also today

Whakaari/White Island is the volcano to watch. GeoNet raised its Volcanic Alert Level to 3 (of 5) and its aviation code to orange on October 21; ash is present but no explosions are reported. The Smithsonian/USGS weekly report for October 15-21 also lists new eruptive activity at Krakatau, Indonesia (Alert Level 3 of 4, ash up to 600 m or 2,000 ft above the vent) and Nevados de Chillán, Chile (ash up to 860 m or 2,800 ft). Twenty-three other volcanoes continue erupting. No tsunami was reported.

What to watch in the next 24 hours

• Typhoon Champi passes closest to Taiwan tonight into early Saturday, local time. CWA updates its warnings; JTWC issues warnings at 15:00 and 21:00 UTC.
• Hurricane Vance may become a major hurricane tonight. Swells reach southern Mexico this weekend. NHC’s next advisory is at 9 a.m. CST (15:00 UTC).
• Nagqu, Tibet: casualty counts may rise as rescuers reach remote villages, and snow is forecast. Xinhua and local emergency officials issue updates.
• Western Pacific: JTWC rates Invest 97W, northwest of Kwajalein, a medium chance of development within 24 hours.
• Southern Utah: the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City tracks rivers including the Escalante and Paria.

About this report

This report draws on official agencies (USGS, NHC, JTWC, NIFC, GDACS, the Smithsonian) and named news outlets. The 24 hours run from 11:22 UTC on October 22 to 11:22 UTC on October 23. Tolls are early and often change. Storm figures are a snapshot, and the US fire report is a day old.

Glossary

• Magnitude: a measure of an earthquake’s energy; each whole number is about 32 times more energy.
• Aftershock: a smaller quake that follows a large one in the same area.
• Post-tropical: a former tropical storm that has lost its tropical features but can still bring strong winds.
• Preparedness level: the US wildfire readiness scale, from 1 (low) to 5 (high).
• Invest: an area of disturbed weather that forecasters are watching for development.

Frequently asked questions

How strong was the Tibet earthquake? USGS measured it at magnitude 7.0, at a shallow depth of 11 mi (18 km). Shallow quakes of this size can cause heavy damage near the epicenter. It struck a remote, high-altitude area.

Will Typhoon Champi hit Taiwan directly? Taiwan’s weather agency says the center may pass within about 50 mi (80 km) of the east coast, and landfall cannot be ruled out. Heavy rain is expected even without landfall. Check CWA for the latest track.

Is Hurricane Vance a threat to Mexico? No coastal watches or warnings are in effect. NHC warns its swells will cause life-threatening surf and rip currents along southern and southwestern Mexico from this weekend.

Why are US fire totals so high this late in the year? The figures cover the whole year to date. Both fires and acres burned are well above the 10-year average, even though current activity is light.