With the six-month hurricane season starting June 1, Palm Beach officials are reminding residents to take preparations seriously, even if forecasters are predicting a quieter season than in other years.
“Act early and prepare now,” Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Joe Sekula said. “Your safety depends on it.”
Residents can learn evacuation routes, the town’s emergency protocols and how to prepare their homes for a hurricane by checking out the resources on Town Hall’s website, TownofPalmBeach.com
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted the 2026 hurricane season will likely be a less-active season. It’s the first time NOAA has forecast a less-active season since 2015.
The agency is predicting around eight to 14 named storms — those with 39 miles per hour of wind or higher — with only six of those likely to become hurricanes. Of those hurricanes, only one to three are expected to hurl winds of 111 miles per hour or stronger.
Though NOAA reports 70% confidence in its forecast, the agency’s officials stressed that unforeseen weather events can still occur.
Among the reasons behind the milder storm prediction is an expectation that the weather pattern known as El Niño will form this season. That pattern brings unusually warm temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, which can disrupt the development of hurricanes.
“Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” said NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham in a release. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.”
Meteorologists from the Colorado State University, one of the nation’s top season hurricane forecasters, predicts that 13 tropical storms will form, of which six would become hurricanes.
Palm Beach officials are emphasizing that residents should be ready for a hurricane long before one barrels onto Palm Beach, Sekula said.
“Hurricanes can bring destructive winds, heavy rain, storm surge and flooding, so advance planning is essential,” he said.
Measures to ensure readiness for the season include stocking emergency essentials, protecting important paperwork, establishing clear lines of communications with family and neighbors, and knowing when and where to evacuate.
Palm Beachers unsure of what to do can go to the town’s website, TownOfPalmBeach.com, and learn more through the links to town, county and state informational resources. Residents can also email storm@townofpalmbeach.com.
Regarding evacuations, the town lies in Evacuation Zone B, along with most of Palm Beach County’s barrier islands. Zone B is usually among the first to be evacuated when a major storm is approaching.
If a mandatory evacuation were to occur and the town’s chief of police declared a state of emergency due to the hurricane’s impact, the Palm Beach Police Department would set up roadblocks at each of the access points into town. Those measures help ensure no one enters the town while there are unsafe conditions, according to officials.
Palm Beach encourages residents and business owners to review the town’s five-phase re-entry program following a hurricane.
Residents out-of-town, property owners and lease holders — along with Palm Beach business owners or property representatives — must file a re-entry list program application to enter the town after an emergency. Applicants are required to have a government-issued ID to be placed on the list, which expires Dec. 31. The application can be accessed on the town’s website. Residents with a Florida driver license with a Palm Beach address do not need to apply to the program to return to the island.
Officials also are encouraging residents and business owners to sign up on the town website emergency alerts and news releases from Town Hall. Communications include alerts on weather hazards, police activity, traffic delays, road closure and other events that affect specific parts of town, as well as news releases on upcoming events and activities.
Residents and others can opt in for location-specific communication by visiting the town’s website, scrolling down on the home page and clicking the “Stay Connected” tab. They can then sign up for alerts by clicking the link under the “Alerts and News Release Subscriptions” drop-down menu.
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach urges residents to prepare for looming hurricane season
Reporting by Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
