By: Cyndi Disharoon REALTOR®
Hurricane Season 2025
If you have lived, or had commerce, in Florida any length of time, you know June is the beginning of Hurricane Season. Officially, this Season continues through November.
In case you missed it, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast Florida’s 2025 Hurricane Season to be “busy”.
NOAA anticipates seventeen named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes. The Colorado State University confirmed NOAA’s prediction.
Florida’s The National Weather Service (NWS) was one of the federal agencies to be streamlined by the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). NWS was “DOGE’d” resulting in a reduction of staff in the following positions: meteorologists, hurricane specialists, science and operations officers.
The National Weather Service Employees Organization (“NWSEO”) is currently down eleven meteorologists in NOAA’s offices located in Miami and Key West; both of these locations are the “weather gatekeepers” for Palm Beach County and South Florida.
These vacancies may have an impact on the timeliness and accuracy of storm forecasts for our communities. While the NWS is in the process of regrouping to be more efficient with this smaller staff, the question is: “How will this reduction in NWS personnel impact on Floridian’s safety, in both the personal and commerce sectors?
Should Floridians be concerned? Well, that’s a firm “maybe”.
NOAA has a number of locations throughout Florida. Below is a listing of each office:
NOAA OFFICE LOCATION
- Aircraft Operations Center – Lakeland
- Fisheries Southeast Regional Office – St. Petersburg
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary – Key West, Key Largo
- National Hurricane Center – Miami
- Coral Reef Watch Environmental Monitoring – Miami
- Satellite Assisted Search and Rescue – Miami
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center – Miami, Virginia Key, Panama City
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab – Miami, Virginia Key
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)/Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Projects – Project Specific
While the future, and weather, is unpredictable, Floridians have been well served by NOAA in the past. If I were a betting person, I would put my money on NOAA, even with its condensed staff, to continue to give 110% and provide timely weather information to the Free State.
Manatee and Sarasota Commercial Real Estate Resilience
As Florida continues to be a magnet for business, Manatee and Sarasota counties are standing out as rising stars in the commercial real estate market. With expanding logistics infrastructure, a growing population, and a strong influx of business relocations from the Northeast and Midwest, both counties are seeing increased demand for office, industrial, and mixed-use properties.
However, the looming Hurricane Season brings additional considerations for investors and tenants alike. Resilience planning, storm-resistant building designs, and access to up-to-date weather data—often supported by NOAA’s systems—are all now part of standard due diligence. Real estate professionals in the region are working closely with local governments and emergency services to ensure properties are storm-prepared and meet evolving insurance and risk assessment criteria.
Despite the challenges, the long-term outlook remains optimistic. Whether it’s tech startups in Lakewood Ranch or logistics centers near I-75, the Sarasota-Manatee region is proving to be both a resilient and rewarding environment for commercial growth.
Let’s go boldly forward! Florida will always be a great place to live and grow your business!
