Forecasters are calling for a less activity in the Atlantic basin this hurricane season. But emergency management officials are adamant that it only takes one storm to make it a bad season.

NOAA has released its official outlook on the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, and its forecasters are calling for a total of eight to 14 named storms, with three to six of those turning into hurricanes and one to three of those becoming major hurricanes, those hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or stronger and from categories 3-5.

Colorado State University’s hurricane prediction center is forecasting 13 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two turning into major hurricanes.

An average hurricane season is 14 named storms, with seven becoming hurricanes and three turning into major hurricanes. Hurricane season start June 1 and runs to November 30.

“We need to be preparing like this is the year it’s going to happen,” said Curt Barnes, the acting meteorologist in charge at the Charleston, S.C., National Weather Service office, during a briefing Thursday for community leaders and public safety officials.

The last hurricane to make landfall on the Georgia coast was Hurricane David in 1979. It was a category 1 storm when it hit. But Georgia’s coast has been ravaged by other storms that did not make landfall along that 100mile stretch, such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Helene and Debbie in 2024.

David came ashore at low tide, and the prospect of a storm coming ashore at high tide could mean a much larger and much more dangerous storm surge, Barnes said.

“We don’t want to scare anyone, but we need to be aware of the risks,” he said.

Barnes said eastern Liberty County is vulnerable to storm surge. Trip Duke, assistant director of the Liberty Emergency Management Agency, also said the county has to be prepared for the worst scenario, which includes getting storm surge from a category 5 storm at high tide.

If that happened, he and Liberty EMA director Robert Dodd pointed out, the water would reach nine feet high as far inland as the intersection of Highway 84 and General Stewart Way in Hinesville. The number one killer in hurricanes, officials said, is water.

The most destructive storm to hit Georgia came in 1893, when a hurricane hit Sea Island and claimed up to 2,000 lives.

Predicting and tracking hurricanes has become a much better science over the years, Barnes said.

“We’re not going to be caught by surprise,” he said.

Barnes also noted hurricanes have impacted Liberty County about every 10 years. The center of Matthew, in 2016, was the most recent to come close to the county, and Idalia also came close Hurricanes have impacted Liberty County about every 10 years. Matthew was the most recent to have a center near Liberty County in 2016 and Idalia came close in 2023.

“We need to be preparing like this is the year it’s going to happen,” Barnes said.

If an evacuation order is given, the county has an agreement with Baldwin County. Under another pact, the school system will provide buses to take evacuees to Baldwin County. The meeting point and departure point for Liberty residents who are evacuating is the Charles Shuman Recreation Center in Hinesville.

Dodd said the EMA will post updates on its social media platforms and said the Liberty EMA’s app is also a resource residents can use for information and hurricane preparedness.

If the call to leave comes, officials urged residents to heed the summons.

“When in doubt, get out,” said county Commissioner Marion Stevens Sr.

Older residents also are encouraged to sign up for the hurricane registry, for those with functional, access or medical needs. But that registry will close before an impending storm reaches the Georgia coast.

Representatives from utility companies also stressed to let power line crews do their work and to not touch any downed line. They also said a puddle with a downed line in it is also a danger.

The EMA will send damage assessment teams out after the storm passes, and residents can upload photos and details of damage through the Liberty EMA’s app, Dodd noted.

The National Hurricane Center’s website, nhc.noaa. gov or hurricanes.gov, is a great resource for tracking storms and hurricane preparedness, Barnes said.

The El Niño effect will be a talking point during the hurricane season, Barnes added. El Niño is expected to arrive in late July and according to the National Weather Service, El Niño conditions tend to support less tropical storms and hurricanes, while warmer ocean temperatures and low winds support a more active year.

Though sea surface temperatures are expected to be above normal, the wind shear from El Niño is expected to disrupt some storms from forming. Barnes also said he’s more interested in what any dust clouds blowing westward from Sahara Desert mean. Those large dust clouds mean there is more dry air in the atmosphere.

“That essentially shuts off hurricane formation,” he said.

Barnes said it was supposed to be a quiet hurricane season in 1992, and that’s when Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami and south Florida.

“It only takes one storm for it to be an active season,” he said.

The Liberty EMA will host a hurricane preparedness event June 26 from 3-6 p.m. in the Lowe’s parking lot.