The scoop on the 2026 storm season

By Emma Peterson. 

Chris Kane explains why lower storm activity should not lead to complacency and highlights the work being done to improve disaster recovery. 

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season kicked off in June, but it has been a fairly quiet storm season overall, especially when compared to the intensity of seasons in recent years. But just because it’s been quieter, doesn’t mean we can let our guards down. To learn more about the 2026 storm season, Karen Edwards hosted Chris Kane of Adams and Reese for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

Chris knows a lot about storms, both from his experience as a New Orleans resident and as the head of Adams and Reese’s disaster recovery and preparedness team. Looking at this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, Chris acknowledged that it’s been quieter than the last few years:  

I'm not a meteorologist, but what I have learned from listening to the experts is that there’s a warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean that has created an El Niño weather pattern. And with this pattern often comes a lowered number of severe hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. 

But just because there are less hurricanes, doesn’t mean there are none at all, (storms Arthur and Bertha are just two examples from this season). So, what are Chris and the Adams and Reese disaster response team doing to help prepare for the possibility of an extreme storm, even in this quieter season? They have been partnering with other organizations and experts to work on developing initiatives that support communities in the wake of disaster. One example is the work they’ve done related to the National Flood Insurance Program. Chris explained, “I'm involved with Greater New Orleans Inc., which is a regional EDO economic development organization that is trying to reform the national flood insurance program.”  

Overall, even though hurricane activity has been lower this year, recovery planning, community partnerships and resilience initiatives like the work Chris and his team are doing remain critical to long-term community safety. Because, as we all know too well, it just takes one storm to turn the world upside down.  

Want to learn more about navigating the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and how people like Chris are building support programs and policies? Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording!