Hurricane Season Guide
Everything you need to know about Atlantic hurricane season. Preparation tips, storm tracking, and safety information to keep you and your family protected.
June 1
Season Start
Nov 30
Season End
Aug-Oct
Peak Activity
Activity swings from season to season with the state of the tropical Pacific. See how El Niño shifts the odds, raising Atlantic wind shear and moving where storms manage to form. A quieter season is still not a safe season.
Understanding Hurricane Categories
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes based on sustained wind speed. Higher categories mean more potential for damage. Categories 3, 4, and 5 are considered “major hurricanes” due to their potential for significant damage. A storm can also climb several categories in under 24 hours, a jump forecasters call rapid intensification.
Category 1
74-95 mph
Dangerous winds, some damage
Category 2
96-110 mph
Extremely dangerous, major damage
Category 3
111-129 mph
Devastating damage expected
Category 4
130-156 mph
Catastrophic damage
Category 5
157+ mph
Catastrophic, total destruction
Hurricane Preparedness Checklist
Build the kit before a storm has a name. Our hurricane preparedness week guide walks through evacuation zones, insurance checks, and storm surge planning day by day.
Emergency Supplies
- ✓Water: 1 gallon per person per day (3-7 day supply)
- ✓Non-perishable food (3-7 day supply)
- ✓Prescription medications (2-week supply)
- ✓First aid kit with essential supplies
- ✓Flashlights and extra batteries
- ✓Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
Important Documents & Items
- ✓ID, insurance cards, important documents (waterproof bag)
- ✓Cash and credit cards
- ✓Phone chargers and battery banks
- ✓Full tank of gas in your vehicle
- ✓Know your evacuation zone and routes
- ✓Pet supplies if applicable
Track Hurricanes with WeatherAI
Stay ahead of dangerous storms with professional-grade tropical weather tracking. See the official 5-day forecast cone, watches and warnings, and 7-day tropical development outlooks.
Cone of Uncertainty
Follow the probable track of the storm center through the next 5 days. The cone does not show the storm's full impact area.
What the cone really means →Watches & Warnings
See hurricane watches, warnings, and storm surge alerts visualized on the map as new advisories arrive.
Push Alerts
Get push notifications when watches or warnings are issued for your area, so tracking a storm does not depend on you checking.
Related Articles
Weather Education
What Is Storm Surge? Surge vs Storm Tide, and Why Category Doesn't Predict It
Storm surge explained: how surge, storm tide, and inundation differ, what decides how high the water gets, why a Category 2 can flood worse than a Category 4, and which NHC products to act on.
Weather Education
Spaghetti Models Explained: What Those Tangled Hurricane Lines Actually Mean
Spaghetti models are a tangle of individual forecast tracks, not a forecast. Here is what each line is, what the labels like AVNO and EMX stand for, and how to read the spread instead of the scariest strand.
Weather Education
What Is an Invest in Weather? What 90L, 91L, and 92L Actually Mean
An Invest is a data-collection label, not a forecast. Here is what the National Hurricane Center means by Invest 90L, how the numbering and basin codes work, and how an Invest becomes a named storm.
The Rest of the Tropical Toolkit
Satellite and radar reading, surge and flooding explainers, alerting setup, and the local pages for the coastlines that get hit first.
Guide
Reading Satellite Imagery
Use GOES and Himawari visible, infrared, and water vapor satellite imagery to spot developing storms and larger weather patterns.
Guide
Understanding Flash Floods
Learn what causes flash floods, how to spot the risk on radar, and the safety steps that save lives.
Guide
How to Read Weather Radar
Learn the basics of radar interpretation so you can tell where storms are headed and how intense they may become.
Feature
Custom Alerts
Set weather notifications that match the places and conditions you actually care about.
Tool
Wind Speed Converter
Convert between mph, km/h, knots, and m/s for wind reports and forecasts.
Tool
Pressure Tendency Calculator
Calculate 3-hour barometric pressure tendency from rising or falling readings.
Glossary
Storm Surge
An abnormal rise of seawater generated by a storm's winds pushing water toward shore.
Glossary
Eye Wall
The ring of intense thunderstorms surrounding a hurricane's eye, containing the storm's strongest winds and heaviest rainfall.
City Guide
New Orleans Storm Tracker
Follow Gulf storms into southeast Louisiana with radar, alerts, and local timing.
City Guide
Key West Weather Alerts
Watches, warnings, and tropical alerting for the most exposed corner of Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Atlantic hurricane season?
What is the difference between a hurricane watch and warning?
How are hurricane categories determined?
What supplies should I have for hurricane season?
How can I track hurricanes on my phone?
Use Case
Emergency Preparedness
Complete emergency weather monitoring: hurricanes, earthquakes, severe weather, and wildfires.
Use Case
WeatherAI for Travelers
Track hurricane threats at your destination and get travel weather alerts.
More Seasonal Guides
Seasonal Guide
Severe Weather Season Guide
SPC outlooks, watches vs. warnings, and storm safety beyond tornadoes.
Seasonal Guide
Tornado Season Guide
Peak timing by region, warning signals, and tornado safety planning.
Seasonal Guide
Winter Weather Guide
Snow, ice, wind chill, and how to plan around winter storm risk.
Be Ready This Hurricane Season
Download WeatherAI and get real-time hurricane tracking, push alerts for your area, and AI-powered weather insights.