\n\u2014 What to expect \u2014
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ELNINO.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGlobal weather patterns impact our hurricane season. La Ni\u00f1a and El Ni\u00f1o have to do with the water temperatures in the tropics of the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n
Our weather experts say that El Ni\u00f1o is on its way this summer.<\/p>\n
El Ni\u00f1o will likely develop near the beginning of hurricane season and strengthen through the rest of the year. This could have a big impact on how many storms we see this season.<\/p>\n
Learn more about El Ni\u00f1o’s impact. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FORECAST TRACK UPDATES There are a few terms we all recognize when it comes to hurricanes, and the cone is one of them.<\/p>\n The cone contains the probable path of the storm\u2019s center, and it represents the potential error in the track forecast.<\/p>\n Tropical track forecasting has improved a little over the past five years. So for 2026, the forecast cone will be just a little narrower.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s important to be prepared even if you are not in the cone.<\/p>\n For example, this is a look back at Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n From 60 hours before landfall through landfall, most of west-central Florida and the Tampa Bay area that experienced storm surge was not in the cone.<\/p>\n This reminds us that tropical hazards can extend well beyond the cone.<\/p>\n And remember, hurricane conditions are still possible when you are in the cone, and certainly if you live in an area where a Hurricane Watch or Warning is issued.<\/p>\n HURRICANE WATCH VS. WARNING<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to know the difference between a Hurricane Warning and a Hurricane Watch.<\/p>\n A \u201cwatch\u201d announcement is when hurricane conditions are possible within the area.<\/p>\n This will be issued up to 48 hours in advance.<\/p>\n A warning is when hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the specified area.<\/p>\n A warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated start of tropical-force winds.<\/p>\n As a storm intensifies, the category increases.<\/p>\n A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when sustained winds reach 74 miles per hour.<\/p>\n And then the ranking scale depends on the storm\u2019s sustained wind speed.<\/p>\n Category 1: Winds 74-95 mph \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n HURRICANE KIT Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay is currently stockpiling common hurricane supplies to be packed in 5-gallon Home Depot buckets and distributed to impacted areas should Florida see a hurricane or storm damage this year. (Spectrum News\/Chris McDonald)<\/p>\n Now is a great time to create your hurricane kit or stock up on one you may already have. Don\u2019t want to wait for a storm to get a name because all eyes will be on the tropics. As the storm approaches, store shelves could empty. So, it\u2019s best to buy everything you\u2019ll need \u2014 and want \u2014 to have on-hand way ahead of time. You don\u2019t want to be caught trying to stock up at the last minute.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of all the basics:<\/p>\n Flashlights and extra bulbs \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n EVACUATION INFORMATION Type in your address to find out your evacuation zone.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n County-by-County Evacuation Routes:<\/p>\n Coastal Storm Surge Zone Maps:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n REBUILDING ALONG FLORIDA’S COAST Rebuilding continues in Flagler Beach, now focused on the new pier. (Spectrum News File Photo)<\/p>\n Although Hurricane Matthew technically never made landfall in Florida, the center passed about 30 miles offshore, which was enough to carve a devastating path along our east coast.<\/p>\n The scars are still remembered by many who endured it, including one local business owner who built back stronger \u2014 not just after Matthew, but all the subsequent storms that have followed in the past 10 years.<\/p>\n We talked with Scott Fox, who launched Tortuga\u2019s Florida Kitchen and Bar in 2016, only to face a major obstacle after opening. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n STORM PREP FOR NURSING HOMES Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017. (Spectrum News File Image)<\/p>\n It\u2019s been nine years since Hurricane Irma forced mass evacuations across Florida and left millions without power. Emergency managers say the storm exposed serious problems inside some nursing homes and led to major changes in how facilities prepare for hurricanes.<\/p>\n When Irma swept through the state in 2017, several nursing home residents in South Florida died in overheated facilities in the days after the storm, sparking outrage and prompting statewide reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable residents during emergencies.<\/p>\n Now, emergency officials say preparation begins long before a storm arrives. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Preparing the power grid and your home Florida launched a major effort to strengthen its power grid before hurricane season gets underway. (Spectrum News\/Curtis McCloud)<\/p>\n In the wake of Hurricane Irma and the storms that followed, Florida launched a major effort to strengthen its power grid. As hurricane season approaches, resiliency is key when it comes to keeping power running.<\/p>\n When the power goes out, almost everything immediately changes. This is an all too familiar circumstance for people living in Central Florida. On the west side of Orlando, Brian Harris knows the feeling all too well. During Hurricane Irma and once again with Ian, this close-knit community was put to the test with flooding and major power outages.\u00a0\u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n PREPARING YOUR HOME Landscaper works on a customer’s lawn (Spectrum News\/Lizbeth Gutierrez)<\/p>\n We can\u2019t prevent a hurricane from coming, but we can minimize the damage to our homes. Here are a few ways you can prepare your home:<\/p>\n Protect your windows. This is very important because once a window is broken, the wind and the rain can wreck things inside. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FLORIDA’S FORGOTTEN COAST A billboard lies atop a Waffle House restaurant after being knocked down by Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Oct. 14, 2018. (Carlos R. Munoz\/Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP, File)<\/p>\n Each year, hurricane season arrives with familiar reminders: review your emergency plan, restock supplies, and know your evacuation zone. But for many residents along Florida\u2019s Forgotten Coast, those reminders are tied to something much deeper than seasonal preparedness.<\/p>\n They are tied to memory.<\/p>\n For communities hit hardest by Hurricane Michael in 2018, hurricane season is not just about what could happen. It\u2019s about what did happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n The storm tore apart entire neighborhoods across the Florida Panhandle. It upended lives in Mexico Beach, Lynn Haven, Port St. Joe and beyond. And while eight years have passed, many residents say recovery after a major hurricane takes far longer than most people realize. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n WHEN ORLO VISTA’S SYSTEM FAILED Orlo Vista’s flood mitigation project aims to protect the Orlo Vista and Westside Manor communities against flooding following the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022. (Spectrum News\/Massiel Leyva)<\/p>\n Water has always been part of life in Orlo Vista.<\/p>\n Retention ponds. Drainage canals. Shingle Creek winding quietly nearby. Systems designed to carry water away \u2014 until one season, they couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n For longtime resident Janae Buford-Johnson, the story of Hurricane Ian began long before the storm.<\/p>\n For decades, her home stood strong \u2014 until September 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read the full story \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n AI CHANGING THE FUTURE OF HURRICANE FORECASTING Using Hurricane Melissa as an example, Dr. Joshua Wadler of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said an AI model did a better job than the traditional model in forecasting the storm\u2019s path and strength. (File Photo)<\/p>\n A new wave of technology is transforming how meteorologists forecast hurricanes, and experts say it could lead to earlier warnings, more accurate storm tracks and better preparation for communities.<\/p>\n Forecasting hurricanes remains one of meteorology\u2019s biggest challenges, as small atmospheric changes can quickly alter a storm\u2019s path or intensity. Now, artificial intelligence is helping forecasters stay ahead of dangerous storms. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n HURRICANE RADIO PARTNER \u00a0<\/p>\n Courtesy: Getty Images<\/p>\n As a storm approaches Central Florida, staying aware with the latest information will be vital.<\/p>\n If for some reason you can’t get us on your TV or mobile phone, you can listen to us on the radio via our hurricane radio partner:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DOWNLOAD THE SPECTRUM NEWS APP Download the Spectrum News App<\/p>\n Getting up-to-the-minute news can be paramount during a storm crisis, so be sure to download the\u00a0Spectrum News App\u00a0(iOS)<\/a>\u00a0(Google Play Store<\/a>). With national reach, boots-on-the-ground local coverage and an unimpeachable weather team, we\u2019ve got you covered all storm season long.<\/p>\n The Spectrum News App’s Storm Season section is designed specifically to provide everything you need to know about hurricane season, from breaking weather reports to the latest news on what you’ll need to prepare for and get through any worst-case scenario, who to contact in an emergency and more. Our dedicated\u00a0Weather Section<\/a>\u00a0provides even more comprehensive year-round coverage, including hour-by-hour forecasts and daily updates, facts and knowledge from hometown meteorologists with the experience and expertise residents have trusted for decades. Klystron 13’s cutting-edge radar technology features hyperlocal data and temperature overlays, as well as long-range tropical system cone forecasts to help you plan ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CENTRAL FLORIDA \u2014 Hurricane season is here and we want to help you get prepared.\u00a0In this guide, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":288342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[315,122042,4717,1846,2204,16343,2174,3833,115,1335,139,141,140,1976,1014,275,12166,87368,3315,3690,2032,835,2261,221],"class_list":["post-288341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-brevard-county","tag-ctv-specials","tag-flagler-county","tag-hurricane","tag-instagram-n13","tag-instagram-stories","tag-lake-county","tag-marion-county","tag-news","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-osceola-county","tag-seminole-county","tag-spectrum-news-staff","tag-storm-season","tag-storm-season-resources","tag-sumter-county","tag-the-villages","tag-trending-topics","tag-vod","tag-volusia-county","tag-weather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=288341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/288342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=288341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=288341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=288341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u2014 Latest from NOAA and CSU \u2014
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FORECAST_CONE.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hurricane-watch-vs-Hurricane-warning.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\nCategory 2: Winds 96-110 mph
\nCategory 3: Winds 111-129 mph
\nCategory 4: Winds 130-156 mph
\nCategory 5: Winds 157 mph+<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Plan ahead and stock up \u2014
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BN9_Huricane_kit_0603.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\nBattery-operated radio
\nBattery-operated lanterns
\nExtra batteries (various sizes)
\nWind-up or battery-powered clock
\nMatches
\nFirst aid kit
\nDuct tape
\nRain gear
\nPlastic garbage bags
\nFire extinguisher
\nScissors
\nCan opener
\nClean clothes
\nExtra blankets and pillows
\nHeavy gloves
\nFood
\nBottled water (one gallon\/person\/day)
\nTwo coolers (one for drinks, one for food)
\nCanned foods
\nBottled juice
\nDry pet food<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Know your zone and routes \u2014<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Building back stronger \u2014
\n![\"Rebuilding](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flagler_beach_pier_construction_2.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Protecting vulnerable residents \u2014
\n![\"Hurricane](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0623_bn9_irma_contractorjpg.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Resiliency is key \u2014
\n![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/power_line_grid_orlando.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 What you can do \u2014
\n![\"Landscaper](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_9935.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\nCheck and secure roof shingles or decking.
\nReinforce all doors, including garage doors.
\nTrim trees and shrubs near your home.
\nPrepare your pool. Don\u2019t drain it \u2014 the weight of the water keeps the pool from being lifted off its foundation. But put a cover on it if you have one.
\nPull all outdoor furniture inside.<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Recovery takes time \u2014
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/waffle_house_hurricane_michael_2018_florida_ap.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 A community under water \u2014
\n![\"Orlo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_6639.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Helping forecasters stay ahead of dangerous storms \u2014
\n![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot_2026-05-12_102753.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Stay informed \u2014<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/weather_radio_getty.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Access Spectrum News 13 anywhere \u2014
\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/klystron-13-on-the-go-large.jpeg\")
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