Daily Earthquakes, Storms, Fires & Floods Report — November 9, 2026

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 9, 2026

At a glance

Heavy rain flooded parts of South Texas, and a strong earthquake shook the Solomon Islands, in an otherwise fairly quiet 24 hours from 7:25 a.m. EST Sunday, November 8, to 7:25 a.m. EST Monday, November 9 (12:25 to 12:25 UTC).

• Floods: Record rain in Corpus Christi and flash flooding across South Texas closed roads and schools; no deaths were reported.
• Earthquakes: A magnitude 6.4 struck near Lata, Solomon Islands, with no reported damage or tsunami.
• Storms: Typhoon Cempaka and Tropical Storm Pena stayed over open Pacific waters; the Atlantic was quiet.
• Fires: US activity was light at preparedness level 1; one Wyoming fire threatens homes.
• Volcanoes: No major new eruption was reported.

National weather services and local authorities issue the official warnings; follow them first.

Earthquakes

The day’s largest earthquake was a magnitude 6.4 near Lata in the Solomon Islands, and no damage or tsunami had been reported. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded 16 quakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater in the window. The nine largest are below; the other seven were magnitude 4.5 to 4.7.

What stands out

• Solomon Islands M6.4: The USGS PAGER impact estimate was green, its lowest level, and the catalog carries no tsunami flag. The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) estimated about 8,000 people in the zone of strong shaking (intensity VI). A magnitude 4.8 followed nearby at 05:16 UTC.
• Off eastern Japan: A magnitude 5.7 east of Hasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture, also drew a green PAGER estimate. GDACS put about 230,000 people in light shaking (intensity IV). Smaller quakes struck off Takahagi and Onagawa.
• Seram Sea, Indonesia: Two shallow quakes of magnitude 5.4 and 4.8 struck east of Masohi five minutes apart.

The USGS counted 178 earthquakes of all sizes worldwide in the window. No magnitude 6 or greater quake occurred in the 48 hours before it. Source: USGS catalog query, searched at 12:26 UTC on November 9.

Storms

Two tropical cyclones were active, and neither threatened land. Typhoon Cempaka is over open water in the western North Pacific. Tropical Storm Pena is well south of Hawaii. The Atlantic had no storms, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects none to form in the next seven days.

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for either storm. The NHC lists Pena’s hazards affecting land as “None.” The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecasts Cempaka to stay over open water.

One disturbance bears watching for rain. An area of low pressure just off Nicaragua had a 20 percent chance of forming over seven days in the NHC outlook of 10 a.m. PST November 8. The NHC said it could bring heavy rain to parts of Central America.

In the South Indian Ocean, the JTWC issued its final warning on Tropical Cyclone 03S at 18:00 UTC November 8. It was a weak system, at 29 mph (25 kt), north-northeast of Madagascar.

Fires

US wildfire activity is low, at the lowest national preparedness level, though the year’s totals remain well above average. Figures are from the National Interagency Coordination Center report dated 7:30 a.m. MST Sunday, November 8.

Fires to know

• Foot Creek, Wyoming: 532 acres, 41% contained, 10 miles west of Buffalo on the Bighorn National Forest. The report lists residences threatened and road closures in effect.
• Wild River, New Hampshire: 856 acres, 20% contained, 5 miles southwest of Shelburne on the White Mountain National Forest. Fire behavior is minimal.
• Bee Haven 2, Florida: 2,060 acres, 85% contained, 28 miles northwest of Lake City. It is smoldering with minimal fire behavior.

Elsewhere: GDACS flagged several large bushfires in Australia, the biggest about 20,759 hectares (51,300 acres). All carried its lowest (green) alert, with no people reported affected.

Floods

South Texas had the day’s most serious flooding after heavy rain on Sunday. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Corpus Christi said 5 to nearly 10 inches had fallen in 24 hours from Duval County toward Corpus Christi and Baffin Bay. KRIS 6 reported 7.95 inches (202 mm) southeast of Ben Bolt by 6 p.m. CST Sunday. Corpus Christi’s 2.71 inches (69 mm) set a record for November 8. KRIS 6 reported numerous flash flood warnings in the Coastal Bend, closed bridges on FM 1717 and FM 2045, and several school districts closed Monday. No deaths or water rescues had been reported by Monday morning.

For Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state emergency management agency on Friday to bolster its response, ABC News reported. In Florida, The Watchers reported more than 60 rescues by state wildlife officers during the worst of the flooding.

Also today

No volcano made major news in the window, and no tsunami was reported.

• Kilauea, Hawaii: The summit eruption is paused after episode 56 ended on November 5. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said on November 8 that the next fountaining episode is likely several weeks away. The alert level is Advisory, aviation code Yellow.
• Mayon, Philippines: Alert Level 3 has been in effect since an explosive eruption on October 30, The Watchers reported, citing the Philippine volcano agency (PHIVOLCS).
• Weekly round-up: The most recent Smithsonian/USGS weekly report available, for October 22 to 28, listed new activity at five volcanoes. They were Chikurachki (Russia), Kikai (Japan), Nevados de Chillán (Chile), Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion, France) and Whakaari/White Island (New Zealand).

What to watch in the next 24 hours

• South Texas rain, Monday: The NWS Corpus Christi flood watch runs until noon CST (1 p.m. EST). The NWS expects a messy morning commute, with rain easing late Monday.
• Typhoon Cempaka: The JTWC issues warnings every six hours, next at 15:00 and 21:00 UTC. The storm is forecast to turn east and weaken over open water.
• Tropical Storm Pena: The NHC’s next full advisory is due at 5 a.m. HST (15:00 UTC) Monday.
• Low pressure off Nicaragua: The NHC eastern Pacific outlook will update its formation chance and any heavy-rain threat to Central America.
• Solomon Islands aftershocks: The USGS catalog will list any further quakes near Lata in Temotu Province.

About this report

This report draws on official agency data and news reports published in the 24 hours from 12:25 UTC Sunday, November 8, to 12:25 UTC Monday, November 9, 2026. Earthquake counts come from the live USGS catalog and may change as events are reviewed. Storm figures come from the latest advisory available at the time of writing; each new advisory replaces them. US fire figures may lag by a day. Tolls are given as reported and may rise.

Glossary

• PAGER: The USGS system that estimates likely deaths and losses after a quake. Green is the lowest of four levels.
• Flood watch: Conditions favor flooding. A flood warning means flooding is happening or about to happen.
• Knot (kt): One nautical mile per hour, about 1.15 mph (1.85 km/h). Navy and Japanese forecasters use knots.
• Preparedness level: A US scale of 1 to 5 for how stretched national firefighting resources are. Level 1 is the lowest.
• Intensity (MMI): How strongly shaking is felt at a place. Intensity IV is light; VI is strong enough to cause slight damage.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Solomon Islands earthquake cause a tsunami? No tsunami was reported. The USGS catalog shows no tsunami flag for the magnitude 6.4 quake, and its impact estimate was the lowest level.

Will Typhoon Cempaka hit Japan? The JTWC forecast keeps Cempaka over open water as it turns east and weakens. It is not forecast to make landfall, though the track can change with each warning.

Is the flooding in South Texas over? Not yet. A flood watch runs until noon CST Monday, and soils are saturated, so more rain can quickly cause flash flooding. Drivers should not cross flooded roads.

Why are US fire totals so high when activity is low? The low preparedness level reflects current conditions only. The year-to-date totals count every fire since January 1, so they reflect the busier months earlier in 2026.

Sources

Earthquakes

• USGS catalog, magnitude 4.5+, past 24 hours
• USGS count, all magnitudes
• USGS catalog, magnitude 6+, prior 48 hours
• GDACS: Solomon Islands M6.4 and Japan M5.7

Storms

• NHC home page
• NHC Tropical Storm Pena advisory 11
• NHC Atlantic outlook and eastern Pacific outlook
• NHC Central Pacific outlook
• JTWC Western and South Pacific advisory and Indian Ocean advisory
• JTWC Typhoon Cempaka warning

Fires

• NIFC situation report, November 8
• GDACS alert feed

Floods

• NWS Corpus Christi forecast discussion
• KRIS 6 weather blog
• ABC News: South Texas bracing for more flash flooding
• FOX Weather: South Texas flood threat
• Wikipedia: November 2026 Florida floods
• The Watchers: Florida declares emergency after flooding in Brevard County

Volcanoes

• USGS Kilauea updates
• The Watchers: Mayon alert raised to 3
• The Watchers: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, October 22 to 28