Massachusetts urges early hurricane preparedness

Massachusetts emergency officials are telling residents to get ready for hurricanes before late-summer storm threats build. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said on June 1 that residents, visitors and businesses should prepare early for the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30. State guidance says the most active period for Massachusetts is late August through September. The agency has published public safety materials covering storm planning, outage preparation, evacuation awareness and post-storm recovery steps. ### When does Massachusetts expect the biggest hurricane risk? Massachusetts says the Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. State safety guidance says the most active time for hurricanes and tropical storms in Massachusetts is late August through September, even though the state has gone years without a direct hurricane landfall. MEMA Director Dawn Brantley said in the agency’s June 1 release that residents should not treat the risk as remote. “It can sometimes feel like a direct hit is unlikely,” Brantley said, adding that tropical storms can still cause major damage from excessive rain and high winds even when they are not classified as hurricanes. (mass.gov) ### What is the state telling households to do now? (mass.gov) Massachusetts has posted hurricane preparedness pages and downloadable materials that tell households to make plans before watches or warnings are issued. The state’s resources include supply checklists, safety messages for before, during and after a storm, and multilingual preparedness flyers distributed through MEMA. Mass.gov safety guidance says residents should understand the difference between a watch and a warning and plan for threats that include storm surge, high winds, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, tornadoes and rip currents. (mass.gov) The state also directs residents to prepare for power outages and to keep emergency information accessible. ### What resources has Massachusetts published? MEMA has published a hurricane season preparedness page, a hurricane preparedness resource list and a 2026 Hurricane Preparedness Week toolkit for local officials and community groups. (mass.gov) The toolkit says it was developed to help communities share preparedness messages, while the resource list includes flyers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese. (mass.gov) Governor Maura Healey also proclaimed July 5 to July 11, 2026, as Hurricane Preparedness Week in Massachusetts, according to the agency’s news page. That notice was issued to encourage residents to prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes ahead of the peak period later in the season. ### What are businesses and facility teams being advised to do? BMS CAT, a disaster restoration company, said in guidance published yesterday that facility teams should inspect buildings and surrounding property, complete repairs before a storm approaches and secure items that could become debris. (mass.gov) The company also advised teams to photograph property, document assets, assign roles and create an emergency communication plan. (mass.gov) The BMS CAT guidance also recommends exchanging contact information with nearby businesses and neighbors. The company said those steps can reduce uncertainty and give facility teams a clearer plan when conditions begin to deteriorate. ### Where can residents and officials get the checklists? Massachusetts has centralized its public-facing materials on the state hurricane preparedness pages, including storm safety tips, downloadable flyers and emergency manager resources. (bmscat.com) The Office of Coastal Zone Management also maintains a hurricane preparedness kit for coastal communities. Nov. 30 is the end of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, according to Massachusetts and MEMA guidance. (bmscat.com) Before then, residents can use the state’s online preparedness pages and local officials can draw on the 2026 MEMA toolkit to circulate checklists and safety messages in their communities. (mass.gov 1) (mass.gov 2)