Brevard County residents are being urged to evaluate personal hurricane risks and create evacuation plans ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which is expected to have slightly below-normal activity. Officials emphasize that past storms like Frances, Jeanne, and Matthew caused major damage even without direct landfalls. "Focus on planning, not storm categories," said Will Ulrich, a National Weather Service meteorologist based at Melbourne Orlando International Airport. "History shows that even indirect impacts can be devastating."
Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in September 2004 left $598 million in combined damages across Brevard County, despite making landfall 60 miles south of Palm Bay. Frances, a Category 2 storm, and Jeanne, a Category 3 storm, struck just three weeks apart. Ulrich noted that such eastward threats are rare but not unheard of. "We’ve focused heavily on the West Coast recently, but the East Coast can still be hit hard from the east," he said during a Space Coast Chamber of Commerce panel on May 7.
The 2026 season also marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Matthew, which passed offshore as a Category 3 storm in 2016, causing $75 million in countywide damage. Ulrich warned that complacency after years without major strikes could be dangerous. "Even a glancing blow can cause chaos," he said.
Residents are being advised to review emergency kits, secure property, and stay informed through local alerts. The National Weather Service will host additional preparedness workshops in June. "The goal isn’t to panic, but to be ready," said Ulrich. "When the tropics heat up, we all need to act like it’s 2004."