Time once again for our annual US hurricane tracking and discussion thread.
Today is the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season. The Pacific season officially started on May 15, but the Central Pacific subsection which includes Hawaii also begins today.
Here’s the official word to wave the starting flag: NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As always, the hurricane that hits you will ensure your season is well above normal no matter how lightly the rest of the country gets off.
And some changes to the info we’ll be able access: 2026 NHC New Products and Services. There’s rather a lot that’s new and different you can read about there, plus a whole raft of useful urls you might want.
Last of all the home page at National Hurricane Center - NOAA which will update at least every day with the current threat maps.
As of today, June 1st, the eastern Pacific has two areas of interest well offshore of Central America and aimed more or less in the general direction of Hawaii a couple thousand miles away. All else is quiet.
Good luck to us all.
Does the website now include a “sharpie” option in case you want to puff up the predicted tracks?
I’m very much behind on my prep this year. I still have to go through my supplies and filter out things that expired, and restock. I also need to pull the generator out and run it - that’s critical because you can’t count on last minute repairs. It runs on propane so at least I’m not worried about gummed up fuel lines. It should be fine, but I need to make sure.
Tropical Storm Arthur is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season
Arthur’s maximum sustained winds are 45 mph, which puts it above the 39 mph threshold for a tropical storm. The storm is not expected to strengthen significantly, but forecasters warn of dangerous flash floods and urban flooding. Arthur is moving northeast and is expected to move inland over southwestern Louisiana by Wednesday night.
“Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated higher totals near 20 inches, through early Friday” along a large part of the U.S. coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane center said in its advisory.
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/17/g-s1-128578/tropical-storm-arthur-first-named-storm-atlantic-hurricane-season
Yeah, it got over the hump. It was questionable until the last minute if it the windspeed would get high enough to become Arthur.
Been a bit rainy off and on the last few days in the Houston area. More rain near the coast and there’s been localized flooding and higher than normal tides but that’s about it. Sun’s already out. First time in nearly a week, so that feels a bit odd.
Lots more rain to come for Louisiana into Alabama including localized flooding but that was going to happen regardless of the official classification as a tropical storm or not.