Oct. 13, 2026 — Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources, including swiftwater rescue boat squads, ahead of storms from the remnants of Hurricane Simon that the National Weather Service expects to bring hail, damaging winds and flash flooding to West Texas, his office said. The threat begins in the Panhandle and expands through midweek to the South Plains, Permian Basin, Big Country, Texoma, Big Bend and border regions.
TDD reports on public forecasts; it does not issue forecasts or warnings. For conditions and warnings where you are, follow your local National Weather Service office and emergency officials.
Oct. 13, 2026 — Earthquakes of magnitude 6.7 at 05:44 UTC and 6.8 at 12:23 UTC struck the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the equator, far from land, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Oct. 12, 2026 — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 18 km west of Río Grande, Panama, at 23:20 UTC at a depth of 10 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with a green PAGER alert for expected losses.
Oct. 12, 2026 — Colombia's 2016 peace accord is under strain from growing insecurity and must be implemented in full, with proper funding, UN envoy Miroslav Jenča told the Security Council, UN News reported. Government data show illegal armed groups grew from about 15,000 members in 2022 to about 28,000 today. Jenča condemned the Sept. 1 killings of civil society leaders María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor in Cauca.
Oct. 12, 2026 — The UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response by 153 votes to three, with Argentina, Israel and the United States against and New Zealand and Paraguay abstaining, UN News reported. The text was meant to pass by consensus on Sept. 25 until objections from the United States and a few other states blocked it. The WHO Pandemic Agreement cannot open for signature until talks on a pathogen-sharing annex are completed.
Oct. 12, 2026 — Flash floods in Nepal's Gorkha district swept away homes and bridges, leaving at least five people missing, with 95 rescued, authorities said, UN News reported. A landslide is believed to have blocked the Budhi Gandaki River. The World Food Programme sent three trucks of food and relief supplies, and the Food and Agriculture Organization said the floods damaged roads, crops and livestock, threatening local food security.
Oct. 12, 2026 — The UN refugee agency has received $3 billion of the $8.5 billion it needs this year as 117 million people are forced from their homes, and 8,000 staff have left since 2024, UNHCR chief Barham Salih said, UN News reported. "There is…a difference between doing more with less and being asked to do the impossible," he said. Refugee registration has been halted in Ethiopia for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea.
Oct. 13, 2026 — San Diego County is urging residents and businesses to prepare for heavy rain this fall and winter by clearing drains and gutters, checking for spots where soil could wash away and stabilizing bare slopes with vegetation, mulch, rock or fiber rolls, the County said. Problems in the public right-of-way can be reported through the Tell Us Now app or at 877-684-8000. More preparation information is at AlertSanDiego.org.