Hurricane season is not over until Nov. 30. Here is a six-week house check for Vero Beach homeowners.

For most of 2026, the tropics were strangely calm. No hurricane formed in June, July, August or September. A lot of us stopped checking the forecast.

Then came Isaias. It became the season's first hurricane on Oct. 7 and hit the Florida Panhandle two days later. That is a good reminder for every Vero Beach homeowner: the Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. We still have about six weeks to go.

A quiet season with a late surprise

WLRN reported on Oct. 2 that the 2026 season had produced eight named storms but no hurricanes. It said entering October without a hurricane was a first in the modern satellite era. Forecasters pointed to a strengthening El Niño and strong wind shear that kept storms from growing.

Then the streak broke. The Weather Channel reported that Isaias was upgraded to a hurricane late on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The old record for the latest first hurricane in the satellite era was Sept. 11, set in both 2002 and 2013. Isaias beat it by almost a month.

CBS News reported that Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, as a Category 2 storm. A gust of 112 mph was measured at Santa Rosa Sound. More than 697,000 customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia lost power.

Why October and November still matter here

WLRN noted that in October, storm activity tends to shift toward the Caribbean and the Gulf, closer to Florida. Its point was simple: a quiet season lowers the odds of a Florida threat, but it does not erase them.

The Weather Channel said an average season makes about two more hurricanes after Oct. 7. In strong El Niño years like this one, fewer have formed. Nobody can promise what the next six weeks bring. That is exactly why a short house check is worth an afternoon.

What to do: the six-week house check

None of this takes special tools. Walk around your house with a notepad and work through the list.

1. Shutters and panels. Find every panel, track and wing nut. Make sure you know which panel goes on which window, and that the hardware is not rusted or missing. Store them where you can reach them fast.
2. Gutters and downspouts. Clear leaves and debris so heavy rain runs away from the house instead of over the edge and along your walls.
3. Loose things in the yard. Look at patio furniture, planters, grills and decorations. Decide now where each one goes if a storm heads our way.
4. Trees. From the ground, look for dead branches hanging over the roof, the driveway or power lines. Indian River County's Public Works Department handles vegetative storm debris pickup, and its guidelines are on the county website.
5. Supplies. Check your water, canned food, flashlights, batteries, first-aid kit and medicines. Replace anything expired or used up during the summer.
6. Generator. If you have a portable generator, start it and let it run outside. The CDC says to keep it at least 20 feet from your house, away from doors, windows and vents.
7. Carbon monoxide alarm. The CDC recommends a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector in your home. Make sure yours works.
8. Papers. Put copies of your deed, policies, IDs and key phone numbers in a waterproof bag you can grab and go.
9. Alerts. Sign up for Alert Indian River, the county's emergency notification system. It sends alerts from the county Emergency Operations Center by text, email or phone call.

Stay connected when it counts

Indian River County says Alert Indian River is used for imminent threats to life, health and safety, and that the contact information you give is protected and not used for other purposes. You choose which kinds of notices you want.

The county also posts updates through Indian River County Emergency Services on Facebook and X. If a storm does form, those channels are where evacuation orders, shelter openings and debris pickup plans show up first.

After Nov. 30, do not throw your kit in the back of the garage and forget it. Leave it together, note what you used, and you will be ahead of the game when the next season starts on June 1.