Author: Elian Giaccarini, Regional Emergency Response Coordinator, ADRA Inter-American Regional Office
La Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica de Estados Unidos (NOAA) ha publicado sus perspectivas para la temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico de 2026, pronosticando un año por debajo de lo normal con 8 a 14 tormentas con nombre, de las cuales de 3 a 6 podrían convertirse en huracanes, y de 1 a 3 podrían alcanzar la categoría de huracán mayor (categoría 3 o superior). La NOAA atribuye la reducción de la actividad prevista en gran medida al desarrollo y la intensificación de las condiciones de El Niño durante la temporada, junto con temperaturas del Océano Atlántico ligeramente más cálidas de lo normal.
While the forecast offers some statistical comfort, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Inter-American Regional Office (IAD) is urging partners, donors, government counterparts, and the public not to become complacent. The agency is issuing this statement to mark the official start of the season on June 1 and to reaffirm its full operational readiness.
Key Forecast Figures
- 8–14 named storms
- 3–6 projected hurricanes
- 1–3 potential major hurricanes (Category 3+)
- 41 countries in the ADRA IAD region
One Storm Is Enough
History has demonstrated repeatedly, from Hurricane Maria in 2017 to Hurricane Iota in 2020, that a single powerful storm striking a vulnerable country can trigger a full-scale humanitarian crisis requiring months or even years of recovery.
For the millions of people across ADRA IAD’s coverage area who live in inadequate housing, lack access to clean water and food security, or reside in high-risk coastal and riverine zones, a statistically “below-normal” season offers little reassurance. ADRA’s mission demands the same level of vigilance every season.
“A below-normal season forecast is not a reason to lower our guard,” says Ruben Ponce, director of ADRA’s Inter-American Regional office. “It is a reminder that nature does not follow statistics. Somewhere in our region, communities are at risk right now. Our job is to be ready before the storm, not after it. ADRA IAD will maintain the same level of operational readiness and commitment this season as in any other year.”
Year-Round Preparedness in Action
ADRA IAD has not waited for the June 1 start of the season to prepare. Since the end of the previous hurricane season, the regional office and its network of country offices across the Caribbean, Central America, and South America have engaged in a continuous cycle of emergency preparedness activities.
These efforts have included simulation exercises (SimEx) to test response plans under realistic disaster scenarios, multi-stakeholder workshops with national civil protection authorities and humanitarian coordination bodies, updates to contingency plans and emergency response frameworks, pre-positioning of critical non-food item stocks, logistics capacity assessments, and training for local staff on needs assessment, cluster coordination, and cash and voucher assistance programming.
“Our country offices have worked throughout the year, not just in June, to ensure that when a storm hits, we are not scrambling. We have tested our plans, trained our teams, engaged our communities, and updated our systems. We are as ready as we can be, and we stand by the people of this region,” says Elian Giaccarini, Regional Emergency Response Coordinator for the ADRA Inter-American Regional Office.
Immediate Response Capacity and International Surge
ADRA IAD has established systems to enable rapid mobilization in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Country offices are equipped to conduct initial rapid needs assessments and launch early response activities within 72 hours of a significant event. Should the scale of a disaster exceed national response capacity, ADRA’s regional and global network is prepared to mobilize additional human resources, funding, and material supplies from international sources.
This surge capacity, drawing on ADRA’s global network of more than 118 member organizations and partnerships with major institutional donors, allows the organization to scale its response according to the magnitude of the crisis. This helps ensure that no affected community is left without support because of insufficient local resources.
ADRA IAD also maintains active coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), and other key humanitarian actors across the region. This coordination enables a coherent, cluster-based response when multiple organizations are deployed simultaneously.
A Call to Action for Donors and Partners
ADRA IAD invites donors, government partners, institutional funders, and civil society organizations to support the agency’s preparedness and early response efforts before and throughout the 2026 hurricane season. Pre-positioned emergency funding enables faster and more efficient response during the critical first days after a disaster, when every hour counts.
To learn more about ADRA IAD’s emergency response operations, partnership opportunities, or ways to contribute, please visit adra.org or contact the regional office directly.
About ADRA Inter-America Regional Office
ADRA IAD is the regional coordination office of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, and Venezuela. The office supports country-level ADRA offices in delivering relief and development programs, coordinates emergency response across the region, and facilitates resource mobilization and technical assistance to strengthen local humanitarian capacity.
ADRA operates in more than 130 countries worldwide through a network of nearly 6,000 staff members, all driven by a mission of justice, compassion, and love.
Source: NOAA 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, Issued May 21, 2026 – noaa.gov