As Hurricane Milton departs from Florida and Georgia, residents in the affected areas are remaining on alert for potential future storms. Despite it being October, which may seem late for tropical storm activity, hurricane season extends for another six weeks, prompting meteorologists to closely monitor any possible disturbances.
Recent social media speculation suggested that a storm named Nadine is forming off the coast of Mexico; however, the National Hurricane Center has reported no organized system in that region. Meteorologist Eric Burris from NBC affiliate WESH in Orlando reassured the public through a video, stating that there is no organized system currently directed towards Central Florida and advised against trusting unverified social media sources.
The National Hurricane Center is currently observing two areas of interest in the Atlantic. Hurricane Leslie, located about 1,700 miles from the Azores, is producing sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Forecasters predict that this hurricane will begin to shift northward and eastward, eventually weakening below hurricane status in the coming days. Another area of low pressure off the west coast of Africa is also under scrutiny, though forecasters estimate less than a 20% chance of it developing into a named tropical system within the next week.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre provided details on federal efforts to support search and recovery operations.
Hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 to November 30, indicating that there remains approximately a month and a half during which additional hurricanes could develop. While hurricanes can form outside of this timeframe, such occurrences are relatively rare.
This year’s hurricane season has been notably active, with five hurricanes making landfall in the United States, three of which—Debby, Helene, and Milton—struck Florida. Other states also experienced impacts, including Texas with Hurricane Beryl in July and Louisiana with Francine in September. The average number of landfall storms in the continental U.S. is typically 1 to 2 in a year, making this year unusually busy. Historically, the record for the most hurricanes to make landfall in a single year is six, a figure last reached in 2020.
Forecasters had anticipated a tumultuous hurricane season. The NOAA predicted an above-normal year for named storms in the Atlantic, estimating between 17 to 25 such storms, with 8 to 13 expected to escalate into hurricanes. Currently, there have been 13 named storms for the season, with nine having developed into hurricanes—four of which, including Beryl, Helene, Kirk, and Milton, reached major hurricane status, defined as Category 3 or higher.