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This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 11:46 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season
WUSF is part of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, which provides up-to-the minute weather and news reports during severe weather events on radio, online and on social media for 13 Florida Public Media stations. It’s available on WUSF 89.7 FM, online at WUSF.org and through the free Florida Storms app, which provides geotargeted live forecasts, information about evacuation routes and shelters, and live local radio streams.

Hurricane season begins: Why the cone is not the full story

FPREN | By Leslie Hudson
Published June 1, 2026 at 2:37 PM EDT

In Florida, the forecast cone is only part of the story. Hurricane impacts can extend far beyond the center track — reaching inland through wind, flooding, and tornadoes.

Over the next six months there is going to be a lot of talk about this year's hurricane season. So this week, we are going to be showcasing some hurricane season #fastfacts that can help you get prepared.

The forecast cone may get the most attention during hurricane season, but it does not show storm size or all of a storm’s impacts. In Florida, some of the most serious damage can extend well beyond the center track. Florida Storms' meteorologist Leslie Hudson has more on Day One of the 2026 hurricane season. Click the YouTube video below:

On average, hurricane-force winds extend outward about 25 to 100 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds stretch much wider, reaching up to 150 to 300 miles outward.

Florida's peninsula width averages about 120 miles, making it a prime candidate for state wide impacts on any given storm.
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Weather 2026 Atlantic Hurricane SeasonHurricane Forecasting
Leslie Hudson
Leslie Hudson is an experienced Multimedia Journalist and Digital Meteorologist whose career is marked by significant professional milestones. A trailblazer in the industry, she holds the distinction of being the first female AMS meteorologist in the Orlando market. Her extensive background in public safety and emergency management led to her being appointed by Florida’s Governor to the State of Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophic Fund Council from 2002 to 2007. Notably, she was the sole meteorologist in the state selected for this prestigious council.
See stories by Leslie Hudson
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