Hurricane Preparedness for Hotels 2026 – NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are predicting a below-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30, predicts a 35% chance of a near-normal season, a 10% chance of an above-normal season, and a 55% chance of a below-normal season.*
During hurricane season, you should regularly monitor your preparedness, from ensuring sufficient emergency supplies are maintained, training staff, updating insurance policies, and more.
See our General Recommendations Below:
- Communications – Make sure to have a command center that includes plans for and means of communication with both staff and guests, including backups for cell and phone service outages. Prepare flyers for guests on safety procedures such as staying inside or off and away from balconies.
- Responsibilities—Emergency staff should clearly understand their responsibilities, from Hurricane Watches to Warnings to outside communications with government emergency operations such as FEMA.
- Checklist – Make sure you have an action checklist prepared before the storm season begins. That list should include items such as securing outside equipment and preparing windows, rooms, and facilities to prevent injury.
- Inventory – Review your inventory of all emergency supplies and equipment.
- Evacuation—Prepare a guest evacuation plan. Also, prepare vital hotel documents and equipment for possible evacuation. Arrange any possible transportation needs in advance.
- Housekeeping – Pull drapes, move furniture, have plenty of blankets on hand, and fill bathtubs with water.
- Kitchen – Plan food storage for perishables and prepare for accommodating guests and evacuees.
- Engineering—Secure the facility, turn off water, gas, and electricity as necessary, obtain additional fuel for portable generators, and check portable generators and electrical service at a predetermined time.
- Recreational Activities – Consider ways to keep guests, especially those with children, occupied during a possible prolonged event.
- Pets – Many evacuees may also seek shelter with their pets. Consider a plan to accommodate guests’ or evacuees’ fur families.
Security & Risk Assessment
- Security—Consider positioning security at exits. Utilize security cameras to monitor the event and ensure the safety of guests and staff.
- Sales: Notify incoming groups and guests with reservations of hurricane status, notify all tour operators and receptive operators, and notify your area convention & visitors bureau (CVB).
- Keep a log – Maintain records of activities for accounting, insurance, and liability issues.
- Pre-loss risk assessment: Perform a risk assessment before the event to prepare for the high costs of repairs.
- Insurance Coverage – Contact your insurance provider, who should provide you with a checklist of things they suggest to minimize the risk of property damage or other potential losses.
When a disaster such as a major hurricane affects Texas, Texas Hotel & Lodging Association steps into the role of providing important, timely, and helpful information to hotel operators, local, state, and federal governmental agencies, the traveling public, and the news media.
We send alerts and update our website with the latest, most timely crisis information. See THLA’s full emergency operations activity here.
References: