Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
Prolonged drought has been affecting the Rio Grande basin for several years. A Satellite loop released on September 15, 2026, showed the declining water levels in the Elephant Butte Reservoir and the smaller Caballo Reservoir to its south over the last 15 years. NASA had earlier reported that the reservoir stood at 1.4% of capacity on July 27, its lowest level since 1971.
A Karenia brevis red tide bloom is affecting parts of Galveston County, Texas, on September 16, 2026, after state biologists confirmed moderate to high cell concentrations, fish kills and respiratory irritation along the coast. NOAA forecasts a moderate to high risk of respiratory irritation at some beaches on Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula as the bloom continues.
The Gaurikund–Kedarnath trekking route in Uttarakhand reopened on September 15, 2026, after crews cleared a landslide-hit section near Chirbasa, Rudraprayag Police said. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported that 7 350 pilgrims had been guided through the affected section by 10:15 IST (04:45 UTC).
The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) placed parts of northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri under a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall from 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC) on September 15 through 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC) on September 16, 2026, as repeated thunderstorms threaten flash flooding. The Moderate Risk extends into far southeastern Nebraska, while parts of the northern Kansas City/Pleasant Hill forecast area have already received more than 127 mm (5 inches) of rain and could receive another 25–76 mm (1–3 inches).
The Palos Fire burned approximately 7 ha (17 acres) in La Habra Heights, Los Angeles County, on September 14, 2026, destroying two homes, damaging two outbuildings and injuring one civilian and one firefighter. Firefighters stopped the fire’s forward progress, containment reached 41%, and evacuation warnings were later lifted.
Heat Advisories issued by 16 National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices cover portions of 12 U.S. states from September 14 through September 16, 2026, with heat index values forecast to reach 46°C (114°F) in southern Texas. The advisories extend from Texas and Oklahoma through the Lower Mississippi Valley and Mid-South into Indiana and Kentucky.
A 14-year-old boy was killed and at least four people were injured when a landslide triggered by heavy rain struck buildings occupied by three families in Vairengte, Mizoram, India, at about 04:30 LT (23:00 UTC on September 11) on September 12, 2026. Police said 17 people occupied the affected structures; separate accounts placed the number of injured at four or five.
At least one person was confirmed dead and more than 30 remained missing on September 13 after the inter-island ferry MV Matui sank in rough seas while travelling from Santo to Ambae in northern Vanuatu on September 11. The Office of Prime Minister Jotham Napat said 15 people had been accounted for alive as search operations were scaled back in open water and concentrated closer to the southeast coast of Ambae.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received a report of a fire aboard the passenger roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, at about 18:45 LT (10:45 UTC) on September 9, 2026. As of September 13, authorities had confirmed 76 fatalities and 43 survivors, while 13 people remained unaccounted for. Recovery aboard the ferry and forensic identification operations ashore were continuing.
A landslide blocked the Hongu Khola River near Gudel in Mahakulung Rural Municipality, Solukhumbu District, Nepal, on September 11, 2026, forming a temporary impoundment and prompting warnings for downstream communities. Water later began flowing over the debris barrier, reducing the immediate danger, but district police said the risk of a sudden release had not completely passed.
