Early Season Hurricanes: Closer to Home, Faster

The Atlantic hurricane season, lasting from June to November, has begun, and forecasters emphasize knowing your risk. Although June is historically the least active month with hurricanes forming approximately every five years, storms can develop rapidly close to U.S. coastlines. These early season systems often originate from cold fronts, jet stream dips over warm waters, or thunderstorms moving north from Central America, typically impacting the Gulf Coast and Carolinas.

Factors such as cooler sea-surface temperatures, strong wind shear, and dry Saharan dust across the Atlantic typically make June a challenging month for hurricane formation. However, when storms do emerge in June, they are more likely to develop in the western Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, or off the southeastern U.S. coast, leaving less time for preparation. Rainfall and flooding are often the primary impacts from these early storms, rather than high winds.