Charlotte County Economic Development, in partnership with local chambers and regional organizations, will host a free Business Hurricane Season Preparedness Webinar at noon on May 6 to help local businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from severe weather events. The virtual session will be held via Microsoft Teams and is open to businesses across the region.

A developing El Niño could affect Florida in two major ways: fewer Atlantic hurricanes, followed by a wetter, stormier winter with greater severe weather risk. NOAA says El Niño over a 60% chance of developing in summer 2026, with a 1-in-3 chance of becoming strong by late fall.

A 1,733-acre wildfire was being fought in the Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County Monday afternoon. The fire was south of Alligator Alley and prompted a warning from the Florida Highway Patrol.

North Port is hosting a Hurricane Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at the George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way.

La Niña officially emerged in September 2025 and lasted until April. Neutral conditions are present, but an El Niño is expected to emerge later in 2026.

Colorado State University is one of the most highly revered names in hurricane forecasting, and for Florida, that matters. Here’s why a landlocked university has become so influential for a state that sees more hurricane hits than any other.

Colorado State University’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook calls for below-normal activity across the Atlantic basin due to a likely transition into an El Niño.

Highlands county burn ban extended because of extreme dought

Despite rains that extremely dry ground siphoned up almost as soon as it fell Thursday, Friday and Saturday, several brush fires still managed to erupt across the area. The largest is in the Big Cypress National Preserve, in an area north of I-75.

A free Community Conversation on Hurricane Preparedness event is plannedfrom 9a.m.to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at Riverview High School inSarasota.