Survive the Season: Hurricane 2026 offers expert advice to help South Florida prepare for hurricane season

As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, the NEXT Weather team is once again reminding South Florida residents that preparation can make all the difference when a storm threatens.

While seasonal outlooks call for a less active year than recent seasons, meteorologists stress that it only takes one hurricane to have a major impact. Florida avoided a direct hurricane strike in 2025, but the NEXT Weather team says residents should not let their guard down.

The CBS News Miami special "Survive the Season: Hurricane 2026," takes a closer look at the risks facing South Florida and the steps families can take now to prepare. From building an emergency kit and creating a family evacuation plan to understanding insurance coverage and protecting your home, the program offers practical guidance for hurricane season.

South Floridians can also access the CBS News Miami 2026 Hurricane Season Guide, which includes preparedness checklists, evacuation information, forecast resources and expert advice to help families stay safe before, during and after a storm.

Here are some of the key topics featured in the special:

• FPL's stronger power grid: Florida Power & Light said years of infrastructure upgrades, including burying power lines and reinforcing critical transmission lines, are helping improve the electric grid's resilience and restore power faster after major storms.

• Finding your safe room: Broward County emergency officials say every household should identify an interior room without windows where family members can quickly shelter during a hurricane or tornado warning.

• Understanding flood insurance: Flood damage is not covered by standard homeowners insurance policies. Experts explain what flood insurance covers, how much it can cost and why waiting until a storm is approaching may leave homeowners without protection.

• Inside the Hurricane Hunters: The U.S. Air Force and NOAA's Hurricane Hunter aircraft fly directly into tropical systems to collect critical data on a storm's track, intensity and structure, providing forecasters with information that helps improve hurricane forecasts and warnings.

• Florida's changing insurance market: Experts say Florida homeowners are entering the 2026 hurricane season with more insurance options than in recent years as new companies enter the market, but recent law changes mean policyholders should review their coverage and understand claim filing deadlines before a storm strikes.