Safe from the Storm: Outlook for 2026 Hurricane Season
SAFE FROM THE STORM (WAKA) – Hurricane season is now underway, running from June 1 through November 30. So what is the tropical outlook for 2026?
The forecast is for a slightly below average number of storms.
The National Hurricane Center expects about 8-14 named storms, with 3-6 becoming hurricanes and 1-3 becoming major hurricanes. However, it just takes one catastrophic storm to make it a bad year.
The reason for the below-average forecast is due to an El Nino weather pattern. However, hurricane experts say in this type of system, storms often form closer to land than they do otherwise.
Starting this year, hurricane forecasts will include inland weather threats because hurricane-force winds can extend for hundreds of miles away from the eye. That means Montgomery can — and has — experienced hurricane conditions when a storm reaches the central Gulf coast. That’s why we can’t just say that hurricanes are only an issue for people at the beach.
Watch the video above from Action 8 Chief Meteorologist Shane Butler as he talks to experts from the National Hurricane Center.
