Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
Although there are still two months remaining in the 2026 hurricane season, this year has already been a historically significant one. For the first time in many decades, there have been no named hurricanes in the Atlantic basin by the time of the normal peak of the hurricane season, the middle of September. There is one disturbance, tropical storm Fay, that is showing some sign of making a comeback. According to the National Weather Service, as of 8 a.m., on Thursday, Sept. 24, Fay is still located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and moving slowly to the west. She is expected to lose strength over time and shows no threat to land. There is another area just off the western coast of Africa that shows some potential for development.
The last time there were no hurricanes recorded in the Atlantic basin during hurricane season was in 1914. There could be some question on the accuracy of that because there could have been weak, open-ocean storms that may have gone undetected. The Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, has seen an active storm season with a number of strong hurricanes and typhoons.
Even though there have been no hurricanes affecting our area, it is still prudent to always remain prepared.