Quiet Hurricane Season Has Florida Experts Warning Against Complacency as Peak Approaches

Florida is more than two months into the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, and so far, the tropics have stayed unusually calm. Just two named storms, Arthur and Bertha have formed, and neither reached hurricane strength. NOAA’s updated August outlook now puts the odds of a below-normal season at 75 percent, thanks in large part to a strengthening El Niño that tends to suppress Atlantic storm development.

But emergency management officials and preparedness experts say that’s exactly when Floridians get into trouble.

The statistical peak of hurricane season doesn’t arrive until September 10, and the most active stretch typically runs from mid-August through October. Forecasters are quick to point out that seasonal outlooks predict overall activity, not where storms will go. A “quiet” year only takes one landfall to become a devastating one, a lesson Florida has learned repeatedly. Hurricane Andrew, still one of the costliest storms in state history, struck during a below-average season on August 23, 1992.

One area of preparation that experts say is consistently overlooked is the yard itself.

While most households focus on shutters, generators, and supply kits, loose debris around a property is one of the most common and most preventable sources of storm damage. Dead tree limbs, brush piles, old fencing, unsecured patio furniture, and accumulated junk can become airborne projectiles in tropical-storm-force winds, damaging homes, vehicles, and neighboring properties. Yard waste left near storm drains can also worsen flooding when heavy rain arrives.

“Every year we see people wait until a storm has a name and a cone before they start thinking about that pile of branches or the old fence sections stacked behind the shed,” said Joe Maxey, owner of MAXCO Dumpsters, a Florida-based roll-off dumpster company. “By then it’s too late, haulers are booked, landfills are slammed, and you’re boarding up windows, not cleaning up the yard. August is the time to get that debris off your property, while the weather is calm and you’re not competing with everyone else in your zip code.”

Waste and debris removal companies across the state say demand spikes sharply in the 48 to 72 hours before a projected landfall, a window when most services can no longer schedule pickups or deliveries in time.

County emergency management offices echo the advice. Standard pre-season guidance from Florida’s Division of Emergency Management includes trimming trees and shrubs well before a storm threatens, since most local governments suspend yard waste collection once a hurricane watch is issued. Debris piles left at the curb during storms often end up scattered across the neighborhood.

Beyond wind hazards, a cluttered yard can slow post-storm recovery. Insurance adjusters and repair crews need clear access to a property, and pre-existing debris can complicate damage claims.

For homeowners tackling a larger cleanup, clearing out a garage, removing storm-damaged material from a previous season, or taking down aging structures, experts recommend handling it now, during the lull, rather than banking on the quiet forecast holding.

“El Niño or not, we live in Florida,” Maxey added. “The forecast doesn’t protect your house. Preparation does.”

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30.