As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, leading forecasts from both AccuWeather and Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project point to a moderate season—but with meaningful risk for U.S. businesses. 

And as history continues to prove, “average” doesn’t mean “safe.”

What the 2026 Forecast Predicts 

According to AccuWeather: 

• 11–16 named storms  

• 4–7 hurricanes  

• 2–4 major hurricanes (Category 3+)  

• 3–5 direct U.S. impacts expected  

Key risk zones include: 

• The northern Gulf Coast  

• The Carolinas and Southeast U.S.  

Importantly, “direct impact” doesn’t require landfall—it includes: 

• Flooding rain from offshore systems  

• Storm surge  

• Tropical-storm-force winds reaching land  

The CSU Perspective: Why “Average” Seasons Still Cause Major Damage 

Forecasts from Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project add critical context: 

• The long-term average (1991–2020) includes:  
  • ~14 named storms  
  • ~7 hurricanes  
  • ~3 major hurricanes  

• Recent seasons have trended above normal in overall energy (ACE)—a measure of storm strength and duration  

• Even in seasons with limited U.S. landfalls, storms can still be:  
  • Extremely intense  
  • Highly destructive internationally  
  • Operationally disruptive across supply chains  

A single storm—or even a near miss—can trigger widespread disruption. 

The Wildcard: El Niño and Shifting Risk 

Both forecasts point to a developing El Niño pattern, which typically: 

• Reduces the number of storms  

• But does not eliminate high-impact events 

At the same time: 

• Atlantic waters remain warm enough to fuel storm development  

• Rapid intensification remains a growing concern  

• Late-season volatility is possible depending on El Niño timing 

This creates a dangerous dynamic: Fewer storms overall, but less predictable, higher-impact events.  

Why This Matters for Business Continuity 

Hurricanes rarely disrupt just one system—they trigger cascading operational failures, including: 

• Prolonged power outages  

• Loss of connectivity and communications  

• Facility damage or inaccessibility  

• Workforce disruption  

• Supply chain interruptions  

And with storms strengthening faster than ever, response windows are shrinking—making preparation more critical than prediction. 

How Businesses Should Prepare Now 

Preparedness isn’t about having a plan—it’s about ensuring your plan works under real conditions. Testing your plan ahead of an interruption allows you to close gaps, clarify roles, demonstrate readiness, and build muscle-memory among teams.  

Here’s how to operationalize readiness across the five core pillars of business continuity: 

1. Power: Plan for Extended Outages 

• Secure assured access to generators and fuel 

• Plan for multi-day outages, not short disruptions 

• Prioritize critical systems and locations 

2. Connectivity: Maintain Operational Uptime 

• Deploy redundant connectivity (LTE or satellite) 

• Test failover capabilities 

• Ensure remote teams can function independently  

3. Communications: Stay in Control During Chaos 

• Pre-build employee, customer, and vendor messaging templates 

• Maintain updated contact databases 

• Define a clear communication chain of command 

4. Workspace: Prepare for Physical Displacement 

• Identify alternative workspace strategies 

• Plan for on-site recovery where possible (especially customer-facing operations) 

• Evaluate mobile or temporary workspace solutions 

The Takeaway 

The 2026 hurricane season may appear “average” on paper—but the risk to your business is anything but. As some will recall, the 2005 season seemed mild until late-season storms, including Hurricane Katrina, resulted in regional devastation, long-term interruptions, and countless permanent closures. 

Between: 

• Multiple expected U.S. impacts 

• Warmer ocean conditions 

• And rapid intensification trends 

…the real threat is operational disruption—not storm count. After all, it only takes one storm to test your entire business continuity strategy.  

The organizations that recover fastest won’t be with the best plans on paper; they’ll be the ones that prepared, tested, and operationalized their response before the storm formed. 

A major climate shift may be on the horizon. According to AccuWeather, conditions are aligning for a potential El Niño to develop in 2026—bringing with it widespread and often unpredictable impacts across the United States.

What is El Niño?

El Niño is part of a larger climate pattern driven by warming ocean temperatures in the Pacific. As those temperatures rise, they disrupt global weather systems—shifting storm tracks, altering precipitation patterns, and increasing volatility across regions.

What Could El Niño Mean for the U.S.?

If El Niño develops, businesses should prepare for less predictable and more uneven weather impacts, including:

• Shifts in storm patterns and severity
• Potential suppression of Atlantic hurricanes—but not elimination of risk
• Increased rainfall and flooding in some regions
• Drought and prolonged heat in others
• Peak impacts building into late 2026 and early 2027

The key takeaway: this is not a “one-risk” scenario—it’s a volatility scenario.

What El Niño Means for Business Continuity

El Niño challenges a common assumption in resilience planning: that risk follows predictable seasonal patterns. Instead, organizations may face simultaneous or unexpected disruptions—from flooding and power outages to supply chain delays and workforce displacement.

Resilient businesses don’t try to predict every outcome—they prepare across core operational dependencies:

How to Prepare for El Niño: 5 Pillars of Resilience

1. Power: Plan for Outages—Not Possibilities

Severe storms, grid strain, and extreme heat all increase the likelihood of outages.

Recommendations:

• Secure backup power solutions (generators, fuel supply)
• Test failover capabilities before peak storm season
• Identify critical systems that must remain operational

2. Connectivity: Stay Online When Infrastructure Fails

Connectivity disruptions—whether from fiber cuts, network outages, or infrastructure damage—can halt operations instantly.

Recommendations:

• Establish redundant connectivity (LTE, satellite, or secondary providers)
• Ensure remote access to critical systems and data
• Validate network failover through regular testing

3. Communications: Control the Narrative Before and After the Storm

Clear, timely communication is essential to maintaining trust and reducing confusion.

Pre-event:

• Define communication protocols and escalation paths
• Segment audiences (employees, customers, stakeholders)
• Pre-draft messages for likely scenarios

Post-event:

• Provide real-time updates on operational status
• Share recovery timelines and next steps
• Maintain consistent messaging across all channels

Tools matter: Platforms like MyAgility enable organizations to send targeted email and SMS alerts to specific groups—ensuring the right people get the right information at the right time.

4. Workspace: Ensure Operations Continue—Anywhere

Flooding, storm damage, or unsafe conditions can make primary facilities unusable.

Recommendations:

• Pre-arrange alternate workspace solutions (mobile offices, recovery centers)
• Enable remote work capabilities with secure access
• Identify critical roles that require physical space vs. remote flexibility

5. People: Turn Plans into Action Through Practice

Even the best plan fails if teams don’t know how to execute it.

Recommendations:

• Conduct regular tabletop exercises (2–4 times per year)
• Simulate a range of scenarios—not just one type of disruption
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and chain of command
• Identify gaps in decision-making, communication, and response time

Tabletop exercises ensure your team doesn’t just have a plan—they can execute it under pressure.

Resilience is the Advantage

El Niño is a powerful reminder that disruption doesn’t follow a script. As climate patterns shift, so do the risks businesses face.

The organizations that come out ahead won’t be the ones who guessed right—they’ll be the ones who prepared across every critical dependency: power, connectivity, communications, workspace, and people.

Because when volatility increases, resilience becomes a competitive advantage.

When a credit union experiences an outage, every minute matters. Members still need access, services must remain available, and communities continue to rely on uninterrupted operations.

This on-demand video shows how credit unions stay open during disruptions using Agility Recovery’s mobile branch solutions. Purpose-built for financial operations, these turnkey units provide secure, climate-controlled workspaces with teller stations, drive-through access, backup power, and reliable connectivity.

See how Agility delivers and configures mobile branches quickly, often in less than a day, allowing credit union teams to continue serving members safely and efficiently during extended outages.

With decades of experience supporting credit unions and regulatory readiness, Agility Recovery helps institutions stay resilient, prepared, and operational no matter what comes next.

In today’s unpredictable world, business resilience is no longer optional—it’s essential. That’s why FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) partnered with Agility to ensure their teams could operate without disruption, no matter the crisis.

During our recent interview, FNBO leaders shared their journey, the challenges they faced, and the measurable impact of building a strong business continuity plan.

FNBO operates across multiple regions, supporting thousands of customers who expect uninterrupted access to financial services. That responsibility brought a pressing need: keep operations running no matter what. Meeting strict regulatory standards, maintaining communication during crises, and giving leadership confidence in recovery were all critical priorities. Simply put, “good enough” wasn’t good enough—continuity had to be proven, tested, and guaranteed.

That’s where Agility came in. By partnering with Agility, FNBO gained more than a plan—they gained a partner prepared to deliver resilience on demand. Agility provided guaranteed access to backup power and fuel supply, ensuring systems could stay online during outages. Flexible workspace recovery meant employees could continue working, whether through mobile units or one of more than 3,200 global office locations. Crisis communication tools gave FNBO the ability to deliver messages quickly, track accountability, and connect with staff when it mattered most. At the same time, IT resilience, cybersecurity protections, and validated recovery plans meant regulatory audits were no longer a source of worry but of confidence.

The impact was undeniable. FNBO achieved operational recovery in hours instead of days, expanded preparedness coverage by 177%, and improved response efficiency by nearly 50% during real-world incidents. Every one of these gains translated into tangible business value: uninterrupted service for customers, renewed trust from regulators, and a stronger sense of confidence across the organization.

FNBO’s story underscores a powerful truth: continuity is not just a safeguard—it’s a strategy for growth, trust, and resilience. By turning risk into readiness, they’ve proven that disruptions don’t have to mean downtime. With Agility by their side, FNBO has transformed uncertainty into a source of strength, ensuring that no matter what the future brings, they are ready to face it.

• Consultation & Planning: Guided the university through an a la carte selection process to choose the right recovery solutions.
• Mobile Recovery Units: Delivered and installed trailers within days to provide space for staff and administrative operations.
• On-Site Coordination: Worked with campus teams to position trailers and manage unique requirements, ensuring everything was safely placed and operational.

• Member Experience: The layout mirrored an in-branch environment, allowing members to interact with staff just as they normally would
• Teller Stations: Two fully equipped teller windows allowed staff to process daily transactions.
• Connectivity & Power: Generator backup and secured data connections ensured real-time access to member accounts.

• Uninterrupted service for members during a potential outage.
• Operational confidence for staff, who had the tools to keep working.
• Peace of mind for leadership, knowing their investment in preparedness paid off.

• Immediate contact—Kizzie and the team are on it as soon as you call or email the hotline

• Verification of location and contact info to activate your recovery quickly

• Assistance with logistics for generators, ReadyOffice units, and mobile support

• Seamless coordination of billing estimates and cost approvals via DocuSign

• Consistent, empathetic support throughout the entire recovery lifecycle

Clients often call during moments of stress and uncertainty—Kizzie’s role is to bring clarity, confidence, and a steady hand through every phase of the recovery.

Watch now to learn how Kizzie and the Agility team ensure your organization gets back up and running—fast.

When disaster strikes, the speed and quality of your response can mean the difference between weeks of downtime and business as usual. Just ask Jason Khoo, VP of Operations at Metro City Bank.

When one of the bank’s Houston branches was ravaged by a three-alarm fire, Jason faced every business leader’s nightmare—total loss of a facility, no backup location, and a customer base that still needed service.

A Fire No One Saw Coming

“I got a call right after our branch managers’ meeting. They said there was smoke coming from the ceiling,” Jason recalls. “I thought it might be minor. But an hour later, the building was engulfed, and eventually the second and third floors collapsed into the first.”

With 145 firefighters on scene and a total structural loss confirmed, Jason had one priority: getting the branch back online to continue serving Metro City Bank’s loyal customers—many of whom rely on the branch for everyday banking needs.

Agility Recovery Answers the Call

After contacting several vendors, one name kept surfacing: Agility Recovery. A fellow banker had recommended Agility after a flood had shuttered one of their branches. Jason reached out—and the difference was immediate.

“It was easy. Tyler from Agility connected me to the rest of the team, and the next day we had a call with Agility, our provider FIS, and our internal teams to hash out the logistics,” Jason said. “We called on a Wednesday or Thursday, and by Sunday the mobile branch arrived. One day later, it was fully operational.”

A Fully Functional Bank Branch—Within Hours

Agility deployed a fully equipped mobile banking center to the site, complete with networking capabilities, physical security features like CCTV, and room for staff to serve customers. By Monday morning, the Metro City Bank team was welcoming its first customer in the temporary location—just days after the fire.

Recovery Shouldn’t Be a Gamble

“What really struck me,” Jason noted, “was how crucial it is to have a plan—and the right partner. Before this, we hadn’t thought deeply about disaster recovery for standalone branches. Now? It’s a core part of our business continuity strategy.”

Agility Recovery didn’t just provide equipment—they delivered confidence.

“They were fast, professional, and knew exactly what to do. It was like a roadshow, but for something serious. They made it easy.”

Jason Khoo, VP of Operations, Metro City Bank

Why Agility Recovery Was the Only Option

While there are many providers who handle elements of recovery, Jason is clear: “Agility was the only partner who could stand up a fully functional bank branch in hours. Not days. Not weeks. Hours. That made all the difference.”

Don’t Wait for a Crisis to Find a Partner

The story of Metro City Bank’s recovery is a testament to the power of preparation, partnership, and speed. Disasters don’t wait, and neither should your continuity planning.

Is your business ready to bounce back? Learn more about how Agility Recovery can help you maintain operations—even in the face of the unexpected.

In this real-world recovery, see how Metro City Bank overcame a total loss event after a fire devastated their Houston branch and how Agility Recovery helped them reopen in just days with a fully operational mobile banking center.