PAHO urges strengthened preparedness despite forecasts of a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season

With the start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries to review contingency plans and strengthen preparedness measures to protect health systems from the impacts of hurricanes, floods, landslides, and other extreme weather events.

Although forecasts indicate that the 2026 hurricane season is likely to be less active than recent years, PAHO warns that even a single severe storm can cause significant disruption to health services and pose serious risks to public health.

“Extreme hydro-meteorological events remain a constant threat across the Americas,” said Leonardo Hernández, Head of PAHO’s Emergency Operations Unit.

“Preparing health systems before an emergency occurs is essential to protect lives, maintain access to critical services, and reduce the impact on the most vulnerable populations.”

Beyond infrastructure damage and disruptions to essential services, hurricanes and flooding can increase the risk of waterborne diseases, vector-borne diseases, respiratory illnesses, injuries, and mental health impacts. Health emergencies caused by extreme weather events can also place additional pressure on already stretched health systems, PAHO points out in a release.

PAHO is encouraging countries to ensure that health facilities have updated contingency plans, trained personnel, and coordination mechanisms that can support the continuity and rapid recovery of essential health services following an emergency. The Organization also recommends strengthening surveillance systems and community-based monitoring to facilitate the early detection of health risks associated with hydro-meteorological events.

According to forecasts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be below normal, partly due to the development of El Niño conditions. El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, typically suppresses tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic basin.

However, El Niño can also alter rainfall and temperature patterns across the Americas, increasing the likelihood of droughts, heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides in different sub-regions.

PAHO notes that the need for preparedness is particularly important given the current epidemiological situation in the Americas, including ongoing outbreaks of measles and yellow fever, as well as the need to maintain readiness for emerging and re-emerging public health threats. Simultaneous emergencies can strain health systems and reduce their ability to respond effectively to sudden increases in demand during and after extreme weather events.

To support countries in their preparedness efforts, PAHO said it will convene a virtual regional readiness meeting on June 11, 2026 with representatives from ministries of health and national disaster risk management agencies across the Americas. The meeting will focus on strengthening protocols and procedures related to health service management, epidemiological surveillance, and emergency operations, while incorporating lessons learned from previous emergencies.

The meeting will also support implementation of the WHO National Health Emergency Preparedness, Alert and Response Framework (2025), which promotes a multi-hazard approach based on five core systems: collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures, and emergency coordination.

PAHO said it continues to work with countries to strengthen national emergency preparedness plans and inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms at national and local levels, helping ensure timely and effective responses to future emergencies.