Forecasters so far are predicting an average to below average Atlantic hurricane season this year, but Volusia County residents shouldn’t get complacent, Volusia County Emergency Management Director Clint Mecham said.
“It could be the slowest season on record, and it only takes one to smack us right in the teeth and we’ve got problems,” said Mecham, who spoke May 11 to the Volusia County Elected Officials Roundtable in Daytona Beach.
The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 through Nov. 30. NOAA plans to release its hurricane season outlook on May 21. But other entities have already weighed in, including Colorado State University and AccuWeather.
“All of the predictions so far are trending to an average to below average hurricanes season,” Mecham said.
Forecasters also expect a strong El Nino weather pattern, which tends to create wind shear that blows storms apart, he said. Water temperatures are expected to be mixed, which is better than very warm waters which contribute to powerful storms.
Colorado State University is predicting two major hurricanes, six hurricanes overall and 13 named storms. AccuWeather is predicting two to four major hurricanes, four to seven hurricanes overall and 11-16 named storms. Also, WESH 2 News is predicting one to three major hurricanes, four to six hurricanes overall and nine to 13 named storms.
No hurricanes made landfall in the continental U.S. in 2025, which hadn’t happened for over a decade, Mecham said.
In 2025, “The Atlantic basin produced 13 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which five became hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater) and four intensified to major hurricanes with winds reaching 111 mph or greater,” according to NOAA.
NOAA describes an average hurricane season as having “14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.”
‘Rapid intensification’ an ongoing concern for 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
There’s still some concern with this hurricane season, though.
Rapid intensification of storms seems to be growing more common. And that’s still a threat, Mecham said.
“So if a storm does form and does approach, we could have potentially less time to deal with it,” Mecham added.
Volusia County residents should stay prepared for hurricane season
Mecham stressed that residents should always be prepared for hurricanes. Some of those preparations include making sure to have the correct insurance on properties and have hurricane kits stocked and ready to go.
“While things are looking favorable for us this year for hurricane season, we are definitely not out of the woods, nor should we be lowering our protective posture,” Mecham said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Amid average hurricane forecast, Volusia official says stay prepared
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
