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Abstract Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in Florida in 2022, presented a unique challenge for residents due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how the evolving COVID-19 pandemic affected perceptions of hurricane risks and evacuation decisions, particularly the role of COVID-19 concerns in influencing the decision to stay home. The study found that only 4% of respondents cited COVID-19 as the primary reason for staying home, while 50.1% of participants indicated that having a pet played a significant role in their decision. Most survey participants (70.3%) strongly agreed they were provided with timely information to make a good evacuation decision. The most heavily relied upon sources of information included local media, county/city emergency preparedness websites, and electronic media whereas the least relied upon sources of information were social media and print media. The findings of this study suggest that, even in the context of a pandemic, many residents evacuated for Hurricane Ian. However, COVID-19 concerns did play a role in some individuals' decisions, particularly those who were concerned about the crowded conditions in shelters. This study highlights the importance of providing clear, consistent, and timely information to residents during evacuations, particularly during a public health crisis. 

Abstract The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was above normal, producing 20 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes, and seasonal accumulated cyclone energy that exceeded the 1991–2020 average. Hurricane Idalia was the most damaging hurricane of the year, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida, resulting in eight direct fatalities and 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in damage. The above-normal 2023 hurricane season occurred during a strong El Niño event. El Niño events tend to be associated with increased vertical wind shear across the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, yet vertical wind shear during the peak hurricane season months of August–October was well below normal. The primary driver of the above-normal season was likely record warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs), which effectively counteracted some of the canonical impacts of El Niño. The extremely warm tropical Atlantic and Caribbean were associated with weaker-than-normal trade winds driven by an anomalously weak subtropical ridge, resulting in a positive wind–evaporation–SST feedback. We tested atmospheric circulation sensitivity to SSTs in both the tropical and subtropical Pacific and the Atlantic using the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model, version 2.3. We found that the extremely warm Atlantic was the primary driver of the reduced vertical wind shear relative to other moderate/strong El Niño events. The concentrated warmth in the eastern tropical Pacific in August–October may have contributed to increased levels of vertical wind shear than if the warming had been more evenly spread across the eastern and central tropical Pacific.