August Hurricane History - 2026
Bottom Line: If you're familiar with the Atlantic hurricane season, you're aware that entering August we're just beginning to enter the peak time of it. There’s plenty of good news as we wade into what’s historically the 2nd busiest month of hurricane season. Due to the presence of El Nino providing wind shear and significant Saharan dust plumes that have been crossing the Atlantic, what was projected to be a below average season is pacing in that direction. There have been only two named systems entering August, one less than last year and notably... Overall tropical activity and the strength (or lack thereof) of the storms thus far has led to the slowest start to hurricane season since 2009 (a season with only 9 named storms).
Since tracking began in 1851:
- 14% of all tropical storms happened prior to August
- 10% of all hurricanes have formed prior to August
While a third of hurricane season is behind us based on dates on a calendar, about 90% of recorded hurricanes have happened in the final four months of the season. As we advance through the month, hopefully free from the threat of hurricanes, we'll enter peak hurricane season. The peak has historically been the final two weeks of August and first two weeks of September. For perspective, there have been more tropical storms and hurricanes in August, than the first seven months of the year combined.
Here's what we average:
- 2.4 tropical storms & 1.6 hurricanes
An average of one storm or hurricane makes landfall in the US every other year. So, here we go – right into the heart of the season. Fingers crossed.