Contributing Writer Tom Dawson
Writer / Instructor
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) will begin issuing their regular Tropical Weather Outlooks on May 15, 2026, about two weeks prior to the start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
In late March AccuWeather predicted there would be 11-16 named storms, 4-7 of those are forecast to be hurricanes with 2-5 being major hurricanes, with 3-5 storms impacting the U.S. In other words, an average hurricane season.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get prepared. Planning and preparation for the coming season is best done early. And if this is going to be your first hurricane season starting sooner rather than later is a must.
The NHC (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov) has made some changes to their graphics again this year. The changes should make it easier to understand the predications they are making.
They have dropped the line for the predicted path as it leads to some confusion and now, they just show the probable path of the storm. The father out the prediction the wider the cone. If you are in the cone, you will be impacted in some way. If you are just outside of the cone there is still a chance of “hazardous conditions” impacting your area.
Another noticeable improvement is how they present inland watches and warnings. These watches and warnings are color coded to help highlight the possible impacts as the storm heads inland.
The sample graphic is what the NHC prediction would have looked like on Tuesday October 8th 2024, two days before Hurricane Milton reached the Florida coast.
For more information on these changes visit, https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/national-hurricane-center-to-issue-new-forecast-cone-graphics-for-2026-hurricane-season.
Speaking of getting prepared Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has a page dedicated to hurricane preparation, https://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/hurricane/.
There you find links to other helpful websites including the BoatUS hurricane page, https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/safety-and-prevention/hurricanes.
The Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron will be holding their annual Hurricane Preparation for Boaters Seminar on May 12th. The host, Carl McGarth has lots of personal experience with Florida hurricanes having experienced them on both coasts.
McGrath shares his and other members insights and lessons learned in the hopes that they will help you be better prepared. The seminar is free, the date, time and signup information can be found at, https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/ccsaps/hurricane-preparation-for-boaters-271282822.
Stay safe on the water!
Thomas E. Dawson
Cape Coral, Florida
Thomas E. Dawson is a member of the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron. If you plan of visiting Lee County, Florida, Dawson is the author of two books about boating there, Safe Boating in Southwest Florida Cape Coral Edition and Barret Bonden’s Local Knowledge Recommended - Things You Wish Someone Had Told You About Boating Here! Both books are available on Amazon.
