​​​​​​Marengo County Emergency Communications District

Hurricane Season 2026

Hurricane tracker maps are valuable tools for monitoring the path, speed, direction, and intensity of tropical cyclones. They help individuals, families, and emergency officials make informed safety decisions, such as identifying evacuation zones, anticipating possible flooding, and preparing for potential landfall. These maps provide important real-time visual information about a storm’s projected track, allowing users to better understand potential risks, evaluate threat levels, and plan ahead.

In addition to being useful for safety and preparedness, hurricane tracker maps can also serve as an engaging educational activity for children, helping them learn about weather patterns and storm tracking in a fun and interactive way while increasing their awareness of hurricane safety. 

Marengo County E-911 encourages all residents to be prepared for severe weather that may affect our area. Severe weather can include thunderstorms with damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flooding, hurricanes, and winter storms with freezing rain, sleet, snow, and strong winds.

When does it become a hurricane?

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​Systems with maximum sustained winds of less than 39 miles per hour (mph) are classified as tropical depressions. When sustained wind speeds reach 39 mph or higher, the system is upgraded to a tropical storm.

​​Once a storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, it is officially classified as a hurricane. Hurricanes are further categorized using the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which ranks storms from Category 1 to Category 5 based on their maximum sustained wind speeds. As the category increases, so does the potential for significant property damage and community impacts.

What is a hurricane?

​A hurricane is a large, rotating storm with high-speed winds of at least 74 mph (119 km/h) that forms over warm tropical waters. These powerful weather systems are characterized by a calm center known as the “eye”, surrounded by intense thunderstorms and strong winds. Hurricanes often produce torrential rainfall, thunderstorms, and dangerous storm surges, which can lead to severe flooding, structural damage, and significant impacts when they make landfall.

The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a classification system that assigns hurricanes a rating from Category 1 to Category 5 based solely on their maximum sustained wind speeds. This scale is used to estimate the potential for property damage caused by hurricane-force winds.

A Hurricane Watch indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area. It does not mean that such conditions will definitely occur, but rather that residents and officials should begin preparing for the potential impact.

A Hurricane Warning is issued when sustained winds of 64 knots (74 mph) or greater, associated with a tropical cyclone, are expected within 36 hours or less in the designated area.

Emergencies can occur at any time, so preparation is essential to keeping you and your loved ones safe. Maintaining an emergency kit with essential supplies can help during power outages, natural disasters, or other unexpected events. Residents should also consider preparing a go-bag in case evacuation becomes necessary.