Daily Earthquakes, Storms, Fires & Floods Report — October 29, 2026

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Oct 29, 2026

At a glance

Typhoon In-Fa heading for the far Northern Mariana Islands and the aftermath of Cyclone Arnab in eastern India led a busy storm day. This report covers the 24 hours from 7:26 a.m. EDT on October 28 to 7:26 a.m. EDT on October 29, 2026 (11:26 UTC to 11:26 UTC).

• Storms: Typhoon In-Fa had 1-minute winds of 138 mph (222 km/h) about 415 nautical miles east of Saipan. Tropical Storm Vance was weakening off western Mexico but still threatened flooding rain in Sinaloa.
• Floods: Arnab’s remnants left around 300 villages cut off by floodwater in Odisha’s Ganjam district. King tides flooded streets on both US coasts.
• Earthquakes: 30 quakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater. The largest was a magnitude 6.4 in the remote ocean southeast of Easter Island.
• Fires: A quiet US fire picture at Preparedness Level 1, with 10 uncontained large fires.
• Volcanoes: No eruption forcing evacuations was reported.

Official warnings come from national weather services and local authorities. Follow them over any summary, including this one.

Earthquakes

The day’s earthquakes were moderate and mostly offshore. USGS listed 30 events of magnitude 4.5 or greater; the ten largest are below. None carried a USGS tsunami flag.

What stands out

• The magnitude 6.4 struck far out in the southeast Pacific. USGS gave it a green PAGER alert, its lowest level for expected losses.
• Three quakes of magnitude 5.4 to 5.8 clustered offshore east of Barcelona, Philippines, within about four hours. GDACS estimated about 7,000 people felt light shaking (MMI IV) from the largest.
• The magnitude 5.5 near Asahi, Japan, was the most widely felt: GDACS estimated 100,000 people in moderate shaking (MMI V). USGS also rated it green.

USGS counted 203 earthquakes of all sizes worldwide in the window. Just before it, a magnitude 6.0 struck 214 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, at 02:21 UTC on October 28 (green PAGER alert). Catalog: USGS M4.5+ search, searched at 11:26 UTC on October 29.

Storms

Two tropical cyclones were active, and both pose some threat to land. The Atlantic and Central Pacific had none.

Cyclone Arnab dissipated over India after landfall on October 28; JTWC issued its final warning at 09:00 UTC that day. JTWC rates Invest 91B, a low 347 nautical miles southeast of Port Blair, as low potential to develop within 24 hours. NHC gives a broad low well southeast of Hawaii a 30 percent chance of forming in seven days.

Typhoon In-Fa: far Northern Mariana Islands

In-Fa is a major typhoon on a west-northwest track. JTWC Warning 24 (09:00 UTC October 29) forecasts it near 18.5N 146.3E by 06:00 UTC October 30, still a major typhoon. That point lies north of Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam. Zoom Earth, relaying the forecast reasoning, said the track would carry In-Fa “through the Northern Mariana Islands in 36 to 48 hours.”

After that, the forecast calls for a slow turn southeast of Iwo To, then a track back west, still at sea. NWS Guam listed no typhoon watches or warnings. JTWC gives seas up to 55 feet (17 m) near the center. These figures date from the 09:00 UTC warning; each newer warning replaces them.

Tropical Storm Vance: western Mexico

NHC’s 2 a.m. MST Advisory 32 said “there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.” Its headline read: “Flood and mudslide threat continues for Mexico due to Vance.”

• Rain: “2 to 4 inches of rain across central and southern Sinaloa, far southwestern Durango, and far northwestern Nayarit, with isolated higher totals of 7 inches possible” through Thursday.
• Surf: swells “are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” in southwestern and west-central Mexico and southern Baja California.
• Timing: Vance should weaken and become a post-tropical remnant low late Thursday. The next advisory was due at 8 a.m. MST, and it replaces these figures.

Fires

US fire activity was light, but the year’s totals remain well above normal. Figures are from the NIFC situation report dated 7:30 a.m. MDT, October 28.

Fires to know

• Sisi, Washington: 4,743 acres and 34% contained, 10 miles northwest of Stehekin. It is the least-contained large fire on the list.
• Hewitt Lane, South Carolina: 109 acres and 60% contained, seven miles south of Georgetown, with “wind-driven runs” and group torching.
• Timber, California: 25,350 acres in Los Padres National Forest, 97% contained, with one structure lost.

Elsewhere, GDACS logged several green-alert (low-impact) wildfires on October 28. They included 9,846 hectares (about 24,300 acres) in Botswana and 5,088 hectares (about 12,600 acres) in China.

Floods

Cyclone Arnab’s rain caused the day’s most serious flooding, in Odisha, India. The Daily Pioneer reported on October 29 that “around 300 villages in Ganjam district have been marooned by three days of extremely heavy rain and flash floods.” The Rushikulya River was overflowing, and 120 people were due to be airlifted by Coast Guard helicopter in a first phase.

Arnab’s death toll in Andhra Pradesh varies by source. The Wire reported five deaths, citing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Daily Pioneer gave the state government’s official toll as six, adding that “some reports put it at nine.” Ratopati reported at least seven. Most deaths were from electrocution and falling trees or walls.

Also today

It was a quiet day for volcanoes and tsunamis. No eruption forcing evacuations was reported in the window, and no earthquake triggered a tsunami alert.

Indonesia’s volcanoes kept up routine ash activity. Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre notices on October 25 and 26 put Semeru’s ash up to about 15,000 ft (FL150) and Dukono’s to about 7,000 ft (FL070). Ibu and Karangetang in Indonesia and Langila in Papua New Guinea also had ash up to 6,000 to 8,000 ft.

What to watch in the next 24 hours

• Typhoon In-Fa near the far Northern Marianas: JTWC forecasts it near 18.5N 146.3E at 06:00 UTC October 30. JTWC warnings follow at 15:00 and 21:00 UTC; NWS Guam issues any local watches.
• Vance’s rain in Sinaloa: flooding and mudslides remain possible on steep terrain through Thursday. NHC’s next advisory is at 8 a.m. MST.
• Odisha floodwaters: the Rushikulya River at Aska was near its danger level. Updates come from Odisha’s state authorities.
• King tides: Florida’s Atlantic coast is under flood warnings through early Friday. Local NWS offices issue coastal flood products.
• Invest 91B in the Andaman Sea: JTWC expects gradual development over the next few days. The current JTWC Indian Ocean advisory runs to 18:00 UTC October 29.

About this report

This report draws on USGS, NHC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), the Japan Meteorological Agency, NIFC, GDACS, volcanic ash advisory centres and news reports. The 24 hours run back from 11:26 UTC on October 29. Agency products issued at other times, such as the NIFC report, are dated where used. Early casualty figures often change as officials verify them.

Glossary

• Magnitude 4.5+: the size threshold USGS uses for its global list; smaller quakes are often recorded only regionally.
• PAGER alert: a USGS estimate of likely deaths and losses from shaking; green is the lowest level.
• 1-minute sustained winds: the US averaging used by JTWC and NHC. Other agencies use 10-minute averages, which read lower.
• King tide: an informal name for unusually high tides; this week’s began with the full moon.
• Preparedness Level: the US national wildfire readiness scale, from 1 (low) to 5 (highest).

Frequently asked questions

Will Typhoon In-Fa hit Guam or Saipan? The latest JTWC track passes well north of Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The far northern islands of the Commonwealth lie closer to the forecast path around October 30. Residents should follow NWS Guam and local emergency officials.

How many people died in Cyclone Arnab? Reported tolls range from five to seven in Andhra Pradesh, with one outlet citing reports of nine. The figures come from different sources and may rise as officials confirm cases.

Was there a tsunami from the magnitude 6.4 earthquake? USGS listed no tsunami flag for any quake in the window. The magnitude 6.4 struck in remote ocean southeast of Easter Island and drew USGS’s lowest (green) loss alert.

Why are US coastal streets flooding without a storm? King tides, which began with this week’s full moon, pushed water above normal levels. NWS Miami said Virginia Key saw its third-highest water level in about three decades of records.

Sources

Earthquakes

• USGS M4.5+ catalog search, past 24 hours
• USGS count, all magnitudes
• USGS M6+ search, prior 24 hours
• GDACS alerts feed

Storms

• National Hurricane Center
• NHC Tropical Storm Vance Advisory 32
• NHC Atlantic outlook
• NHC Eastern Pacific outlook
• Central Pacific outlook
• JTWC Western Pacific advisory
• JTWC Indian Ocean advisory
• JTWC Typhoon 30W (In-Fa) warning
• JTWC Cyclone 02B (Arnab) final warning
• JMA typhoon track data, In-Fa
• NWS Guam
• NWS Guam watches and warnings
• Zoom Earth, In-Fa

Fires

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report
• GDACS alerts feed

Floods

• The Wire: Cyclone Arnab, five killed
• Daily Pioneer: Arnab deaths, Ganjam villages marooned
• Ratopati: Arnab kills seven
• The Watchers: Arnab landfall
• AP via KPRC: King tides
• Hawaii News Now: Flood watch
• The Nation: Thailand flash flood risk
• The Watchers: Hooper Bay coastal flooding
• Deseret News: Four Corners evacuations
• The Watchers: San Juan River record flooding
• WBUR Here & Now: Four Corners flooding

Volcanoes

• Bureau of Meteorology: recent volcanic ash advisories