Articles & Guides
Expert analysis, seasonal forecasts, and preparedness guides from meteorologists and emergency management professionals.
New to Hurricane Country? 10 Things to Know Before Your First Season
You found the house. You signed the lease. And then someone mentions — offhandedly, almost cheerfully — that hurricane season starts June 1. If you just moved to the coast, this guide is written specifically for you.
2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast: What to Expect
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. Early forecasts from TSR, CSU, and NOAA point to an above-normal season driven by warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and a neutral-to-La Niña ENSO pattern.
Hurricane Evacuation Zones Explained: Know Before the Storm
Hurricane evacuation zones are not based on wind speed — they are based on storm surge flooding risk. Zone A is the most dangerous. Here's what every coastal resident needs to know before hurricane season.
How to Read Spaghetti Models Like a Meteorologist
Spaghetti models are one of the most misunderstood tools in hurricane forecasting. They are not individual forecasts — they are ensemble guidance from different computer models. Here's how meteorologists actually use them.
The Economic Impact of Hurricanes on Coastal Communities
Hurricanes are the costliest natural disaster in American history. The economic damage extends far beyond broken windows and flooded homes — it reshapes local economies, displaces workforces, and strains insurance markets for years after landfall.
Hurricane Evacuation Bag: What to Pack (72-Hour Go-Bag)
A mandatory evacuation order can come with as little as 12 hours of notice. This complete 72-hour go-bag checklist covers every household type — families, seniors, pet owners, and more.
Hurricane Home Preparedness Checklist: What to Do Before the Season
The biggest mistake coastal homeowners make is waiting until a storm is named. This complete home preparedness checklist covers everything to do before June 1 — from roof inspection to insurance review.
Best Generators for Hurricane Season 2026: A Complete Buyer's Guide
After a major hurricane, power outages commonly last 1 to 4 weeks. This complete generator buying guide covers every type, wattage calculations for your home, safety rules, and top picks for 2026.
How to Hurricane-Proof Your Home: A Room-by-Room Guide
Two identical homes on the same street, hit by the same hurricane, can have wildly different outcomes. Modern building science tells us exactly how homes fail — and how to stop it.
Hurricane Scams: How to Spot Them Before the Storm
In the days before a major hurricane, a second storm forms: a wave of scammers who know that fear and urgency make people act without thinking. Here are the 6 most common pre-storm scams and how to spot them.
After the Storm: Contractor Fraud, Price Gouging & Who to Call
After a major hurricane, tens of thousands of homeowners simultaneously need the same contractors. This creates a perfect environment for fraud. Here's how to protect yourself and who to call.
Hurricane Insurance Claims: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know
The worst time to read your homeowners insurance policy is after your roof is lying in your neighbor's yard. This guide covers what you need to know about hurricane coverage, claims, and your rights — before the storm.
Pet Evacuation Guide for Hurricane Season
After Katrina, thousands of people stayed in flood zones because they could not bring their pets. The PETS Act now requires federally-funded shelters to accommodate household pets — but advance planning is still essential.
Hurricane Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities
After Katrina, over 71% of deaths in Louisiana were people over the age of 60. With the right planning systems in place, seniors and people with disabilities can be among the best-prepared members of any community.
How to Create a Family Hurricane Communication Plan
One of the most disorienting experiences of surviving a major hurricane is the communication blackout that follows. A family hurricane communication plan takes two hours to create and costs nothing — but it can reunite your family when every modern system fails.
The Complete History of Hurricanes: 500 Years of the World's Deadliest Storms
From Columbus's first Caribbean hurricane in 1495 to the billion-dollar superstorms of the 2020s, explore the complete history of the world's deadliest hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones.
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900: America's Deadliest Natural Disaster
On September 8, 1900, a Category 4 hurricane killed 8,000-12,000 people in Galveston, Texas — the deadliest natural disaster in US history. Learn what happened and why it still matters.
The Bhola Cyclone of 1970: The Deadliest Storm in Human History
The Bhola Cyclone killed 300,000-500,000 people in Bangladesh in a single night, making it the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded. Here's the full story of the storm that changed a nation.
The Great Hurricane of 1780: The Storm That Changed Colonial America
The deadliest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded killed 22,000-30,000 people across the Caribbean and destroyed British and French fleets during the American Revolution.
Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years Later — Lessons We Still Haven't Learned
Hurricane Katrina caused $201.3 billion in damage and killed 1,400 people when levees failed across New Orleans in 2005. Twenty years later, the lessons remain urgent.
Hurricane Andrew: The Storm That Changed Building Codes Forever
Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida in 1992 as a Category 5, exposing a building code crisis that led to the strongest construction standards in America. Here's the full story.
The Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928: Florida's Forgotten Catastrophe
A Category 4 hurricane breached the Lake Okeechobee dike in 1928, killing 2,500+ people — mostly Black migrant workers buried in unmarked mass graves. Florida's forgotten disaster.
How Hurricanes Changed American History: Storms That Shaped a Nation
Hurricanes decided which nations colonized the Americas, where cities were built, and which battles were won. Discover the storms that rewrote American history from 1502 to 2005.
The 10 Deadliest Typhoons in World History
From the Bhola Cyclone (500,000 deaths) to Super Typhoon Haiyan (195 mph winds), these are the 10 deadliest typhoons and cyclones in recorded history.
The Costliest Hurricanes in U.S. History: A Financial Wake-Up Call
Since 1980, tropical cyclones have caused over $1.5 trillion in US damage. From Katrina ($201B) to Helene ($78B), here are the costliest hurricanes and why the costs keep climbing.
Hurricane Categories Explained: What the Saffir-Simpson Scale Really Means
The Saffir-Simpson scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to 5 based on wind speed — but it doesn't measure the #1 killer. Learn what each category really means for your safety.
Storm Surge: The #1 Hurricane Killer Most People Don't Understand
Storm surge kills more people in hurricanes than any other factor, yet most coastal residents don't fully understand the threat. Here's what storm surge is and how to survive it.
The Difference Between Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones Explained
Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are the same storm — just named differently by region. Learn why, how they form, and which ocean basin produces the deadliest storms.
Understanding Hurricane Forecasting: How Meteorologists Predict the Path
From Columbus reading clouds to AI-powered ensemble models, hurricane forecasting has transformed. Learn how the GFS, European model, and hurricane hunters predict storms today.
Your Complete Hurricane Preparedness Checklist for 2026
Everything you need to do before, during, and after a hurricane — from building your emergency kit to evacuation planning. The complete 2026 hurricane prep guide.
2026 Hurricane Season Forecast: What Experts Are Predicting
AccuWeather predicts 11-16 named storms for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season as El Niño develops. Here's what every major forecaster is saying and what it means for you.
El Niño and the 2026 Hurricane Season: What It Means for Your Safety
A developing El Niño could suppress the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season — but it doesn't eliminate the risk. Learn how El Niño works and why you should still prepare.
Hurricane Names 2026: The Complete List and What to Know
The official 2026 Atlantic hurricane names are Arthur through Wilfred. See the complete list, learn how naming works, which names were retired, and what to watch for this season.
South Carolina Hurricane History: Why the Grand Strand Should Always Be Prepared
From colonial storms that shaped Charleston to Hurricane Hugo's devastating 1989 landfall, South Carolina ranks 3rd in hurricane risk. Grand Strand residents: here's the history you need to know.
Hurricane Camille to Hurricane Helene: How Storm Surge Science Has Evolved
From Camille's unmeasured 1969 fury to Helene's 2024 inland devastation, storm surge forecasting has been transformed by tragedy and technology. Here's how the science evolved.
After the Storm: What to Do After Each Category of Hurricane
A hurricane's category tells you how powerful its winds were at landfall. But what happens after a storm passes depends on far more than just that number. This guide walks you through what to expect and what to do after each category of hurricane.
What Is the Cone of Uncertainty? (And What It Doesn't Tell You)
The cone of uncertainty is the most recognized — and most misunderstood — graphic in hurricane forecasting. Here is exactly what it means, and what it does not.
Rapid Intensification: The Hurricane Phenomenon That Kills Without Warning
In 2022, Hurricane Ian was a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph as it approached southwest Florida. Twenty-four hours later, it made landfall as a Category 4 with winds of 150 mph. Ian underwent rapid intensification — one of the most dangerous and difficult-to-forecast phenomena in tropical meteorology.
How Does a Hurricane Form? A Step-by-Step Guide
A fully developed hurricane is one of the most powerful events in Earth's atmosphere — a heat engine hundreds of miles wide, organized around an eye of eerie calm. But every one of them begins as something almost unremarkable: a cluster of thunderstorms drifting off the African coast.
Hurricane Prep for Mobile Homes and Manufactured Housing
If you live in a mobile home or manufactured housing, the most important thing to know about hurricanes is this: your home is not designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. Even a well-anchored, modern manufactured home can sustain catastrophic damage from a Category 1 storm.
Hurricane Wind Radii Explained: Why Storm Size Matters as Much as Category
Two Category 3 hurricanes. Same maximum wind speed. One spans 80 miles from its center to its outermost tropical-storm-force winds. The other spans 400 miles. Understanding wind radii is the key to understanding storm size — one of the most underreported dimensions of hurricane risk.
How to Shelter in Place During a Hurricane (When Evacuation Isn't an Option)
If you cannot evacuate before a hurricane, sheltering in place safely requires specific preparation and a clear plan. Here's exactly what to do before, during, and after.
The Eyewall Replacement Cycle: Why Hurricanes Sometimes Weaken Before Getting Worse
The eyewall replacement cycle causes major hurricanes to briefly weaken, then re-intensify with a larger, more powerful wind field. Here's the science explained clearly.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE): The Number That Defines a Hurricane Season
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) measures total hurricane season activity — not just storm count. Here's what it means, how it's calculated, and why forecasters use it.
Hurricane Season Month by Month: What to Watch From May Through November
Hurricane season runs June through November, but activity varies dramatically by month. Here's what each month means for storm risk — and what you should be doing.
How to Read the NHC Forecast Discussion Like a Meteorologist
The NHC Forecast Discussion is the most detailed hurricane forecast product available to the public. Learn how to decode it and what the meteorologists are actually saying.
What Is a Hurricane? A Kid's Guide to the World's Biggest Storms
A simple, friendly guide helping kids ages 6-10 understand what hurricanes are, how they work, and why we prepare for them. Turn fear into curiosity.
Why Do Hurricanes Have Names? The Cool Story Behind Storm Names
Hurricanes get names so scientists can track them easily. Learn the history of storm naming, how names are chosen, and what happens when a storm is so bad its name is retired.
The Eye of the Hurricane: Why There's a Calm Spot in the Middle of a Monster Storm
The hurricane eye is a calm, clear area in the center of the storm — but the most dangerous winds are right around it. Here's the science, explained for kids.
It's Okay to Feel Scared: How Kids Can Handle Hurricane Worries
It is completely normal for children to feel scared or worried about hurricanes. This guide helps kids name their feelings, understand what to expect, and feel safer.
Hurricane Hunters: The Brave Scientists Who Fly Into Storms
Hurricane hunters are scientists and pilots who fly directly into hurricanes to collect data. Learn who they are, what it's like inside the storm, and why their work saves lives.
How Does a Hurricane Form? From a Wave Off Africa to a Monster Storm
Most Atlantic hurricanes start as a small wave off the coast of Africa. Here's how that little disturbance grows into one of Earth's most powerful storms — explained for kids.
Your Family's Hurricane Plan: A Guide Kids Can Actually Help With
Kids can be real helpers when it comes to hurricane preparedness. This guide walks families through building a hurricane plan together — with specific jobs for children of all ages.
What Happens During a Hurricane? An Hour-by-Hour Look at the Storm
One of the scariest parts about hurricanes is not knowing what to expect. This friendly, honest guide walks kids through the stages of a hurricane from the first bands to the calm after.
After the Storm: Why Things Get Better (And How Kids Can Help)
After a hurricane, neighborhoods can look very different — and that can be shocking and upsetting. This guide helps kids understand what comes next and how they can help rebuild.
10 Hurricane Safety Rules Every Kid Should Know By Heart
Ten hurricane safety rules every child should memorize — simple, clear, and potentially life-saving. Print and post this list before hurricane season.