Hurricane Season Has 5 Weeks Left: 10 Named Storms, 1 Hurricane and How Northeast Florida Fared in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has five weeks to go, and so far it has been kind to Northeast Florida. The National Hurricane Center has tracked 10 named storms since June, but only one, Isaias, became a hurricane, and no tropical storm or hurricane has made landfall on the First Coast. The season officially ends Sunday, Nov. 30.

The quiet pattern matched what forecasters expected. In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a below-normal season with 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes and 1 to 3 major hurricanes. NOAA lowered that outlook in August to 7 to 13 named storms and 2 to 6 hurricanes, and the season has landed near the low end of both ranges.

Every Storm So Far

Most of this year's storms were short-lived tropical storms that never threatened Florida. Nine of the 10 topped out with winds of 70 mph or less, and several lasted only a day or two over open water. The table below lists each storm's dates and peak winds from the hurricane center's season records, updated Oct. 24.

The season got a late start on hurricanes. Isaias became the first hurricane of the year on Oct. 8, an unusually late date for the first one, and then strengthened into a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds over the Gulf. A typical season, based on NOAA's 1991-2020 averages, produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Isaias Hit the Panhandle

The only hurricane of the year struck far from Jacksonville. Isaias came ashore near Destin in the Florida Panhandle after peaking at Category 3 strength, bringing damaging winds to communities such as Milton in Santa Rosa County. Northeast Florida saw clouds and breezes from the storm's outer edges but no serious impacts.

That was a reminder that Florida's risk is spread across a long coastline. A storm that makes landfall 300 miles away can still disrupt fuel deliveries, flights and travel for Jacksonville-area families with relatives in the Panhandle. Isaias weakened over the Southeast and later became a powerful storm system over the North Atlantic.

Josephine and the Nor'easter

The most recent named storm formed off the Northeast coast. Josephine began as a strong nor'easter in mid-October, then organized enough to be named a subtropical storm on Oct. 21, with peak winds of 65 mph. It stayed offshore and lost its subtropical character a day later.

Northeast Florida's biggest water problem this month has come from that kind of coastal weather rather than a tropical storm. Strong onshore winds and high tides have pushed water into low-lying areas along the St. Johns River and the coast, and the National Weather Service issued coastal flood warnings for Duval and St. Johns counties this weekend. Those warnings are a reminder that flooding here does not always require a hurricane.

Can Northeast Florida Still Get Hit?

Late-season storms are less common, but they do happen. Hurricane Nicole made landfall near Vero Beach on Nov. 10, 2022, and its wind and surf caused serious beach erosion along the First Coast, including in St. Johns County. Storms that form in November often develop in the western Caribbean or close to the Southeast coast, which gives residents less warning than a storm crossing the Atlantic.

Jacksonville's last direct hit from a hurricane came in 1964, when Hurricane Dora came ashore near St. Augustine. Since then, the area has been brushed by many storms, including Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017, whose flooding forced rescues in neighborhoods such as Ortega. Irma reached Jacksonville as a weakened storm, but its storm surge and rain still produced record flooding on the St. Johns River.

What to Do Before Nov. 30

The last weeks of the season are a good time to check your plan without the pressure of a storm on the map. Make sure you know your evacuation zone, which Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties post on their emergency management websites. It is also a good time to restock flashlights, batteries and water rather than waiting for the next forecast cone.

Flood insurance is worth a look now, too. Standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and a new National Flood Insurance Program policy usually takes 30 days to go into effect. Buying coverage before the start of the 2027 season on June 1 gives you protection when the next storm arrives.