06/10/2026
NOAA released its 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook two weeks ago. The headline is encouraging — forecasters are calling for a below-normal season, with a 55% probability and developing El Niño conditions expected to help suppress Atlantic activity.
That’s genuinely good news. But it comes with the caveat NOAA states directly: it only takes one storm to make it a bad season.
For Horry County, the takeaway is simple: seasonal numbers don’t matter much if the one storm that does form tracks toward our coast.
We’ve seen that play out firsthand. The storms that caused the most damage here weren’t always tied to the most active seasons. They were the ones that formed, moved toward the coast, and found residents who weren’t ready.
The window between now and peak season — August through October — is the most valuable time you have. Parts are available. Installers have openings. There’s no storm in the forecast creating a rush.
Cooper Electrical Services serves Horry County and northern Georgetown County. We’ve been working in these neighborhoods through enough hurricane seasons to know that preparation before the season is different from preparation during it.
If you have a standby generator, now is the time to schedule your annual service visit. If you’ve been thinking about an installation, this is the window.
Full hurricane preparedness guide available on our website.
