As the peak period of Hilton Head’s hurricane season ends, experts eye 2 systems
After the close call that was Hurricane Imelda, the Atlantic hurricane season is about at the end of its peak.
The National Hurricane Center is currently tracking two possible areas of interest. While off-peak storms have been known to come ashore, experts give a low chance that any current disturbance will lead to a tropical storm or hurricane that will affect the Lowcountry.
Infamous late-season storms in recent history include Cat 3 Wilma, which hit Florida in 2005, and “Superstorm Sandy” in 2012, which did most of its damage in the northeastern part of the U.S. in late October. The latter forced the close of the New York Stock Exchange for two days.
Where are the tropical waves now?
There is a tropical wave over a thousand miles east of the Windward Islands. At the moment, this wave is producing a sizable area of showers and thunderstorms. Over the next several days the system could continue gradually developing. As of Friday morning, there was a 30% chance that the system would form a cyclone in the next seven days, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The second is located off the coast of the Northeast U.S. It could develop some “subtropical characteristics” over the weekend, but the overall chance of cyclone formation is at 10% in the coming week.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, though its busiest period occurs from mid-August to mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 12:28 PM.
