The 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season is underway, running from June 1 through November 30.
As we move through late August, Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean are entering the period when Atlantic tropical activity is historically at its greatest.
For families, communities and volunteer organizations, this is an important time to review preparations, monitor reliable sources of information and make sure that communications plans are ready before severe weather threatens.
What Is Expected for the 2026 Season?
The latest seasonal outlook issued by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on August 6 indicates that the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season is most likely to be below normal.
NOAA currently gives the season:
- a 75% chance of below-normal activity;
- a 20% chance of near-normal activity; and
- a 5% chance of above-normal activity.
The updated outlook anticipates 7–13 named storms, of which 2–6 could become hurricanes, with 0–2 potentially becoming major hurricanes.
Those numbers are lower than NOAA's original May outlook.
But there is an important distinction between forecasting the activity of an entire hurricane season and forecasting the risk to an individual country.
NOAA specifically cautions that its seasonal outlook is not a landfall forecast and cannot predict whether a particular location will be affected.
A below-normal season can therefore still produce a dangerous storm.
For Trinidad and Tobago, preparedness remains important regardless of the total number of storms eventually recorded across the Atlantic.
We Are Entering the Peak Months
August is also not the time to conclude that the season has been quiet and therefore the danger has passed.
NOAA expects most of the remaining 2026 Atlantic activity to occur during August, September and October, the peak portion of the season.
Conditions can also change considerably during the remaining months before the season officially ends on November 30.
This makes now a good opportunity to check preparations while there is time to address problems calmly.
Preparing Your Household
Emergency preparation does not have to be complicated.
Households should know how family members will contact one another, where they will meet if separated and where reliable emergency information can be obtained.
Basic preparations should include adequate drinking water, non-perishable food, necessary medication, flashlights, batteries or alternative lighting, first-aid supplies and copies of important documents.
Phones, power banks and rechargeable equipment should be kept charged when adverse weather threatens.
Around the home, drains and guttering should be kept clear, loose outdoor objects secured and overhanging or hazardous vegetation addressed where this can be done safely.
The objective isn't panic buying when a storm appears on a forecast map.
It is having the basics handled beforehand.
Flooding Can Be a Serious Threat
For Trinidad and Tobago, tropical weather does not need to arrive as a major hurricane to create problems.
Periods of intense rainfall can contribute to flash flooding, river flooding, landslides, fallen trees, road obstruction and interruptions to electrical or telecommunications services.
People living or travelling through flood-prone areas should therefore pay attention not only to hurricane forecasts but also to rainfall, river and flood advisories issued by the appropriate authorities.
Never attempt to drive or walk through floodwater when its depth, road condition or current cannot be determined safely.
Have More Than One Way to Communicate
Communications are an important part of preparedness.
Mobile phones and Internet services should normally remain the first and most convenient methods of communication. However, emergencies can result in power outages, network congestion or localized service interruptions.
Families should therefore consider what they would do if their normal communications became temporarily unavailable.
Useful preparations can be remarkably simple: keep important telephone numbers written somewhere other than your phone, maintain charged power banks, establish an agreed family contact or meeting point, and know where official information will be published.
Radio communications can provide an additional capability for trained organizations and operators when circumstances require it.
This principle is central to REACT Team 6006's purpose. The Team's constitution specifically identifies two-way radio communications as an additional resource for community activities, emergencies and disasters.
Follow Official Information
During severe weather, inaccurate information can spread remarkably quickly through social media and messaging groups.
Do not make important safety decisions based solely on forwarded messages, screenshots or voice notes whose origin cannot be verified.
For Trinidad and Tobago, residents should pay particular attention to information from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), along with relevant municipal and emergency authorities.
The ODPM similarly advises the public not to wait until an alert, watch or warning has been issued before beginning preparations.
International hurricane information and forecasts are also available from NOAA's National Hurricane Center.
Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management
NOAA National Hurricane Center
The Role of REACT Team 6006
REACT Team 6006 has been part of Trinidad and Tobago's volunteer communications community for decades.
Our role is not to replace the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, ODPM, emergency services or other responsible authorities.
Instead, Team 6006 works to develop volunteer communications capabilities, trained operators and practical experience that can provide an additional resource to communities and organizations when appropriate.
Our constitution specifically identifies emergency and disaster communications, cooperation with community and emergency organizations, and continued training in radio communications, safety and disaster-related skills among the Team's objectives.
Hurricane season therefore provides an important reminder for our members as well:
Check the equipment.
Check the batteries.
Review the procedures.
Know who to contact.
And don't wait for a storm to start preparing.
Preparedness Is a Year-Round Responsibility
No seasonal forecast can tell us precisely what Trinidad and Tobago will experience during the remaining months of 2026.
A below-normal season is certainly preferable to an exceptionally active one, but it does not eliminate the possibility of severe weather affecting an individual community.
Preparedness is therefore not about being afraid of what might happen.
It is about addressing predictable problems while we still have the luxury of time.
For the remainder of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Team 6006 encourages everyone to remain informed, review their household emergency preparations and pay attention to information issued by the appropriate authorities.
Prepare early. Stay informed. Communicate responsibly.
REACT Team 6006 — Public Service Through Communications.