The first hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States in 2026 is Hurricane Isaias, which is forecast to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast (specifically near Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama) in late October 2026.
- Status: The system, currently Tropical Depression Nine, is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Isaias and then a Category 1 or 2 hurricane before landfall.
- Historical Context: If it forms and makes landfall in October, it will be the latest first hurricane on record for the Atlantic basin since satellite tracking began in 1966 (and the latest since 1905).
- Pacific Note: While Hurricane Lala is forecast to make landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island in mid-August 2026, Hawaii is not part of the contiguous U.S. (CONUS).
Season Overview:
- The 2026 Atlantic season has been extremely inactive due to a strong El Niño event, which suppressed storm development through September.
- The first named storm of the season was Tropical Storm Arthur in June, but it did not reach hurricane strength.
- No hurricanes had formed in the Atlantic as of early October 2026, making the upcoming Isaias landfall a historic anomaly for the season’s start.
