\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 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 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 OUR WEATHER EXPERTS We have been your calm before, during and after the storm for decades. Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay has been here for 29 years. Meteorologists Juli Marquez, Josh Linker and Brian McClure have also been here for 20 years each. The newest member to our team, Meteorologist Kyle Hanson, has only been here a few seasons, but he has already been through some of the toughest storms the Tampa Bay area has had to deal with.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n LOOKING BACK Right now, Tampa Bay and the Nature Coast are still recovering from the one-two punch from hurricanes Helene<\/a> and Milton<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, Tampa Bay had not seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century, until Milton.<\/p>\n On Oct. 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, about 5 miles from Sarasota, as a Category 3 storm.<\/p>\n It brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to our area.<\/p>\n It wrecked communities that were already struggling to recover from Helene.<\/p>\n PHOTOS: Helene’s Impact<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n TAKEAWAYS FROM HURRICANE CHARLEY Person examines damage and debris after Hurricane Charley slammed into Florida in August 2004. (File)<\/p>\n A Category 4 with winds near 150 mph at landfall, Hurricane Charley in 2004 was one for the record books and was followed by three more hurricanes in just six weeks.<\/p>\n When the season was all said and done, nearly every square inch of the state had been affected by one of the quartet of storms.<\/p>\n Twenty-two years later, one Polk County family still remembers the life-changing event that was Charley.\u00a0\u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n PREPARING YOUR HOME Landscaper working 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 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ELEVATING YOUR HOME A St. Petersburg home in Riviera Bay that was flooded by Hurricane Helene in 2024 was elevated about 14 feet up into the air in April. (Spectrum News\/Josh Rojas)<\/p>\n One of the solutions to protect against flooding is to elevate your home. A Bay area builder says that after Helene and Milton, requests for his company to raise low-lying homes have skyrocketed.<\/p>\n Hurricane Helene sent a 6.3-foot storm surge into St. Petersburg on Sept. 26, 2024, which flooded 10,700 homes, and Hurricane Milton damaged an additional 4,904 homes by wind or rainwater flooding about two weeks later on Oct. 9, according to city records. The Special Flood Hazard Area covers 45% of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at how many homes are currently in the elevation process in St. Petersburg.\u00a0\u2192<\/a><\/p>\n County-by-County Storm Surge Zones:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n STRENGTHENING HURRICANE RESPONSE Teams of deputies and first responders used airboats to rescue trapped families during Hurricane Helene. (Spectrum News\/Angie Angers)<\/p>\n Disaster response is changing in Citrus County, after hurricanes Idalia and Helene rocked the Nature Coast.<\/p>\n In the early morning hours of Sept. 27, 2024, Crystal River was overwhelmed by the largest storm surge ever recorded in Citrus County, leaving roads underwater and residents trapped in their homes. As floodwaters rose, the Citrus County Sheriff\u2019s Office launched overnight rescue operations using airboats to reach residents who were stranded in their homes.<\/p>\n As conditions worsened, law enforcement turned to local residents who owned personal airboats to assist with evacuations.<\/p>\n See how the success of this operation led to the creation of the Community Airboat Alliance. \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n EVACUATION ORDERS Evacuations ahead of Hurricane Charley (File)<\/p>\n We learn different lessons from every storm we face. In 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa.<\/p>\n It was the first Category 4 hurricane to impact southwest Florida since Charley.<\/p>\n Ian caused catastrophic damage to counties like Lee, Collier and Charlotte.<\/p>\n Days leading up to landfall, the track of Ian was headed for Tampa Bay. Once it shifted, Lee County officials began issuing mandatory evacuation orders.<\/p>\n There was criticism of the timeline. Some say more time was needed, with the last order coming out less than 24 hours before landfall.<\/p>\n That was a day after some neighboring counties and two days after storm surge warnings.<\/p>\n County officials say the orders were late because of the slight shift.<\/p>\n But as we always say, you can\u2019t just focus on the cone.<\/p>\n Hurricane Irma also devastated parts of southwest Florida in 2017.<\/p>\n Its size played a major role in its path of destruction.<\/p>\n As you can see, the storm spanned the entire width of the state.<\/p>\n And it was a very slow-moving storm.<\/p>\n As it headed towards us, mass evacuation orders were issued.<\/p>\n Highways had bumper-to-bumper traffic as people headed north.<\/p>\n According to Florida\u2019s Department of Emergency Management, over 6 million Floridians evacuated their homes.<\/p>\n And we saw fuel shortages, as people filled up multiple gas cans and hoarded it to make sure they could make it out of the state.<\/p>\n Lee County officials say that southwest Florida is considered one of the hardest places in the country to evacuate in a disaster.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \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 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n INSURANCE CLAIMS Resident Kerry Flynn (right) and a friend walk past a damaged home and tiki hut in their 55+ mobile home community after the passage of Hurricane Milton, on Manasota Key, in Englewood, Fla., on Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo\/Rebecca Blackwell)<\/p>\n After the storm and once it\u2019s safe to do so, you\u2019ll want to file insurance claims.<\/p>\n Flood insurance and property insurance are separate policies.<\/p>\n You will need to submit claims for each.<\/p>\n So, here are some things to do once you are ready:<\/p>\n Have your policy number available. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n PERMITTING PROCESS Workers assisting with permitting in St. Pete Beach. (Spectrum News\/Josh Rojas)<\/p>\n Most people want to get to work right away fixing up their homes after a hurricane, but any repair work that normally requires a permit will still require a permit \u2014 even after a storm.<\/p>\n However, the process in Florida varies county by county, so before you do anything, make sure to check your county\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Basic cleanup and minimal demolition are usually OK, but that work must be limited to damaged areas only.<\/p>\n For example, you should only remove the parts of a drywall panel that got wet.<\/p>\n One thing that is universal across the state is FEMA\u2019s substantial damage rule, also known as the 50% rule<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n It means if the cost to repair any damage to a home is more than 50% of the value of the property, homeowners have to upgrade the property to current flood codes.<\/p>\n County-by-County Home Pages:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n HURRICANE RADIO PARTNERS \u00a0<\/p>\n Courtesy: Getty Images<\/p>\n As a storm approaches the Bay area, staying aware with the latest information will be vital.<\/p>\n In addition to watching Spectrum Bay News 9, you can stay informed in a variety of ways. The following are our hurricane radio partners across the Bay Area:<\/p>\n Max @ 107.1 & 95.9 FM \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DOWNLOAD THE SPECTRUM NEWS APP Download the Spectrum News App<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/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 during all of storm season.<\/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 that residents have trusted for decades. Klystron 9’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":"TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 Hurricane season is here and we want to help you get prepared. In this guide,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":288581,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[7083,122042,122174,7086,276,2200,16343,7088,115,1338,596,1911,275,12166,87368,135,137,136,2032,835,221],"class_list":["post-288580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-citrus-county","tag-ctv-specials","tag-dan-trotter","tag-hernando-county","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-instagram-bn9","tag-instagram-stories","tag-manatee-county","tag-news","tag-pasco-county","tag-pinellas-county","tag-polk-county","tag-spectrum-news-staff","tag-storm-season","tag-storm-season-resources","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-trending-topics","tag-vod","tag-weather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288580","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=288580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/288581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=288580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=288580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=288580"}],"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 – 156mph
\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 Celebrating 20 years \u2014<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Hurricanes Helene and Milton \u2014
\nPHOTOS: Milton’s Impact<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Every storm is different \u2014
\n![\"Person](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot_2026-05-13_at_11_20_15_AM.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: 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 Staying out of harm’s way \u2014
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/home-elevation-hurricane.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Creating a new response plan \u2014
\n![\"Teams](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0514_bn9_generic_flooding_hurricane.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Don\u2019t just focus on the cone \u2014
\n![\"Evacuations](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0513_bn9_hurricane_charley_special3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Know your zone and routes \u2014<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Document everything \u2014
\n![\"Resident](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/hurricane_milton_damage_manasota_key_fl_florida_101324_AP_RebeccaBlackwell.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\nContact your insurance agent or company to report the claim.
\nOnce officials give the all-clear and you return home, you can prepare for your inspection.
\nMake sure you document everything before cleaning up.
\nTake photos and videos of any damaged property, including items you plan to throw away.
\nYou should have evidence of any structural damage, standing water and damage to all appliances and furniture.
\nNext, a claims adjuster will meet you to inspect your property.
\nFinally, the adjuster will work with you to submit an estimate of your loss.
\nMake sure you meet any deadlines given by your insurance company to ensure you receive an accurate payment.<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Varies county by county \u2014
\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_7155_crop.jpeg\")
<\/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
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