NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The 2026 hurricane season will begin June 1 and span until the end of November. Officials from NOAA are expecting a below-normal hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting the Atlantic will have a below-normal hurricane season. Forecasters are calling for 8-14 named storms and from those, 3-6 to develop into hurricanes and 1-3 to be major hurricanes.

New technology to track storms

During Thursday’s outlook, NOAA announced new equipment, some even including AI technology, will help better track rainfall, wind analysis and streets that will likely flood.

“We want to make sure that we’re kind of thinking about not just ourselves, but the others, because response starts at the local level first, and sometimes that first responder might be the neighbor next door,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Graham said over half of the deaths in the last 10 years are from flooding, and most of those are inland and in vehicles.

Community concerns

Amy Gilliam says she remembers the devastation from Tropical Storm Debby and how it affected her community.

“So it is heartbreaking to work your life, work your butt off, have a home and then turn around and have it flooded. And that’s what I anticipate in this neighborhood with the way this was done and the fact that it is a hundred-year-old flood zone,” Gilliam said.

Officials say it’s important to remember that even if the storm has passed, danger often still lingers.

“People think the storm is past, I’m all safe, you’re not,” Graham said. “So that’s everything from downed power lines, displaced wildlife, contaminated water, gas leaks.”

NOAA wants communities to realize how important preparing before the storm is. Officials recommend stocking up on medication, not using a generator for the first time during the hurricane and evacuating when necessary.