Forecasters expect slightly fewer hurricanes than usual this year, but the risk of destructive storms is still high

Weather Forecasters expect slightly fewer hurricanes than usual this year, but the risk of destructive storms is still high May 21, 202612:56 PM ET By  Jenny Staletovich ,  Rebecca Hersher People walk past damage from Hurricane Melissa in Black River, Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Federal forecasters predict 8 to 14 named storms, including tropical storms and hurricanes, will form in the Atlantic in 2026. Matias Delacroix/AP hide caption toggle caption Matias Delacroix/AP Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center expect slightly fewer storms than average during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. But abnormally warm water in the Atlantic makes it more likely that at least one very large, destructive hurricane will form. Tens of millions of people live in places that are threatened by flooding from heavy hurricane-driven rain, wind damage and coastal storm surge. The states at risk from hurricanes include large swaths of the eastern and southern U.S., including inland areas in Appalachia and the Northeast. The official 2026 forecast calls for 8 to 14 storms in the Atlantic between June 1 and November 30. The average number of storms for an Atlantic hurricane season is 14. Sponsor Message Of the storms that form, 3 to 6 are expected to be full-blown hurricanes, which have higher wind speeds than tropical storms. One to 3 of those are forecast to be major hurricanes, which have winds powerful enough to bring down trees and power poles, remove shingles from roofs and destroy some mobile homes. "Even though we're expecting a below-average season in the Atlantic, it's very important to understand that it only takes one," says Neil Jacobs, who leads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We have had major hurricanes make landfall during below-average seasons." And even relatively weak storms have the potential to cause deadly flooding far from the coast, as recent storms have made devastatingly clear. States in the southeast are still reco...