Plus, the future of Florida homebuilding
A confirming voice that the 2026 hurricane season is expected to be below average, a Sarasota waterfront park gets a big flood resilience upgrade, and a Manatee County coastal neighborhood showcases a new storm-ready way to build in Florida. It’s all in this week’s Disaster Management Digest.
2026 Hurricane Forecast: Forecasters at Colorado State University are in agreement with last month’s AccuWeather forecast for this summer, calling for a “somewhat below-average” 2026 hurricane season. Many signs point to a strong El Niño, with high water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that could strengthen right in time for peak hurricane season, the resulting high wind shear chopping down many would-be hurricanes. The CSU report predicts the 2026 season should be about 75% as active as the average 1991-2020 season. The next step is getting prepared for the worst, even with below-average expectations. Here at LMA, we follow Lisa’s Lucky 7 Hurricane Season Prep to plan ahead, and that starts with knowing your risk. Inspect and consider upgrading your home’s openings – the roof, windows, and doors. Talk to your insurance agent to make sure you have the proper policy – including flood coverage. Get your things in order: be prepared to file a claim by noting all of your possessions before the season starts, make an emergency kit and a plan, and keep your important documents right by your side. We’re looking forward to a sleepy hurricane season, but it’s always wise to be prepared!
Sunset at Sarasota’s Bay Park. Courtesy, The Bay Sarasota
Waterfront Park Resilience: Good news for our readers in Southwest Florida – downtown Sarasota’s Bay Park is seeing a huge $10 million investment to maintain its shoreline against flooding and storm surge. Funded by federal and state grants, and overseen by The Bay Park Conservancy, the project will involve new stormwater ponds and green space to improve both the quality of the park and the water that flows into Sarasota Bay. Updated 2023 plans also show additional boat ramps, waterfront restaurants, and walking paths. These improvements come after Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton swept through parts of Sarasota, causing around $1 million in damages in Sarasota Bay Park alone. The city and parkgoers are hopeful that this piece of the forward-thinking Resilient Shoreline Project will lay the groundwork for further construction, including a new performing arts center to replace the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, which will cost between $260M and $295M. Such huge investments need stable footing and a guarantee that they can weather the constant Florida storms. Preparing for the worst means safer spaces, sounder investments, and a more resilient community.
Resilient homes in the Hunters Point neighborhood
Hunters Point – Building the Florida of the Future: The Manatee County town of Cortez has put resilience front and center, changing the way communities build for, and react to hurricanes. The Hunters Point neighborhood, which we featured in our October 2024 Florida Insurance Roundup podcast on Fortified Homes, has made great headway and continues to show the future of Florida home construction: solar-powered and storm ready. Cortez is no stranger to hurricanes. The area has been flooded and forced to rebuild before, but now, Pearl Homes Developments features higher, tougher construction, building most homes with a garage on the first floor to take the brunt of the damage. The development also has its own solar power system, complete with backup batteries, which are already battle-tested and proven to work, keeping the community online with AC, lights, internet and all, during hurricanes Milton and Helene. We’re glad to see more media coverage of this innovative builder that’s changing the concept of coastal home building – taking a proactive approach to beat the storms before they ever make landfall. It’s a good example of the features you want your Florida home to have and that insurance companies will reward with lower premiums for the lower risk. That’s a win for consumers all the way around!.
LMA Newsletter of 4-13-26
