Hurricanes in Mexico: Seasons, Exposed Coasts, and Essential Safety Steps

If you live or stay on a Mexican coast, hurricane risk is part of the landscape. This article helps you identify the season dates and the states hit hardest, prepare your home and documents, understand alert levels, and know what to do during and after a hurricane passes. It also points out, item by item, what official sources don't say and what you will need to verify yourself.

Hurricane Risk in Mexico by the Numbers

According to the National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED), Mexico historically receives an average of five tropical cyclone impacts per year: three from the Pacific and two from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea^[1].

This figure is a long-term average, not a forecast. The National Meteorological Service (SMN) reminds us that a season with fewer systems does not necessarily mean less risk for the population: a single hurricane that hits the territory can cause significant damage^[1].

Seasons and Exposed Coasts: When and Where

The French Embassy in Mexico states that the hurricane season runs from mid-May to late November on the Pacific coast, and from early June to late November on the Atlantic coast^[2]. The official Mexican dates are more precise: in the northeast Pacific, the season begins May 15 and ends November 30; in the Atlantic, it begins June 1 and ends on the same day^[1].

The official Mexican dates are more precise: in the northeast Pacific, the season begins May 15 and ends November 30; in the Atlantic, it begins June 1 and ends on the same day^[1].

October and November therefore remain part of the risk period: the official calendar places hurricane risk through November 30^[1].

The states most often hit, according to SMN records over more than sixty years, are Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Veracruz, and Tamaulipas^[1]. The French Embassy strongly recommends caution for any travel in coastal areas, on the Pacific side as well as on the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico^[2].

Preparing Before You Move In or Book

Before choosing an area, contact the civil protection unit or local authorities to learn the risks specific to the location^[3]. The Mexican government advises its nationals traveling to an exposed destination to keep useful contacts on hand: hotels, relatives, and the emergency number of Mexican representations on site. If you are not Mexican, contact your own embassy or consulate^[4].

For housing and supplies, the Secretariat of the Navy recommends that you:

• establish a civil protection plan with your family^[5];
• keep a reserve of drinking water in sealed containers, canned food, medication, and clothing^[5];
• repair roofs and walls and apply masking tape in an X pattern on windows, as the Navy recommends to prevent further damage; this does not replace the instructions of the authorities^[5];
• make special arrangements for babies, elderly family members, or family members with disabilities^[3].

If you are a French resident, the embassy invites you to register with the Register of French Nationals Residing Abroad, or to update your details, and to obtain the contact information of your block chief^[2]. These preparation guidelines may have changed: reconfirm them with local civil protection or CENAPRED.

Understanding Alerts and Which Official Sources to Follow

The National System of Civil Protection (Sinaproc) uses a two-scale early warning system. The first applies when the hurricane approaches the territory: blue alert (advisory), green (prevention), yellow (preparation), orange (alarm), red (danger)^[6].

A second scale exists for the phase of the storm moving away; consult civil protection for its levels. This description dates from 2018: verify the levels currently in effect with civil protection.

Tropical cyclones are classified by wind speed. A tropical storm corresponds to sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph^[7]; a hurricane begins at 74 mph^[7].

Each year, the SMN publishes a forecast of the number of systems. For 2026, it predicted 18 to 21 named cyclones in the northeast Pacific and 11 to 15 in the Atlantic^[1]. These ranges are not a quota: the number of systems formed does not tell you how many will reach land^[1].

To follow the situation, the French Embassy refers to CENAPRED, the CONAGUA weather website, the instructions of Mexican civil protection authorities, as well as radio and television^[2]. Go through the embassy's page to access these sites.

During and After the Cyclone: The Right Reflexes

If you have not left your home, the French Embassy asks you not to go outside and to stay sheltered, away from windows, in the safest room, the one without windows (bathroom, large closet, hallway)^[2]. Listen to the radio to follow the hurricane's progress^[2].

If the hurricane passes directly over your area, the eye may pass right over you and bring relative calm, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour. The rain and wind stop, but the hurricane is not over: the winds then return from the opposite direction, so stay indoors and keep listening to the authorities^[2].

After the storm passes, stay indoors until it has moved away, do not touch downed power or phone lines, and beware of objects ready to fall (sheet metal, boards, trees)^[2]. Call 911 only in case of serious danger^[2]. The Navy specifies that you should use the phone only to report injured people, a gas or water leak, or a power outage^[5].

If you have been evacuated, return only after the go-ahead from the competent authorities, using the recommended routes^[2].

Traps, Scams, and Points of Vigilance

• The end of the season is not immunity. The Mexican government reminds that phenomena of this type can also occur outside the season^[4], and CENAPRED notes that cyclones can, more rarely, form outside the official dates^[1].
• An announced season that is average or below average offers no protection. A single cyclone hitting the territory can cause major damage^[1].
• The calm of the eye is deceptive: the rain and wind stop, then the winds return from the opposite direction. Stay indoors^[2].
• Returning home too early after an evacuation is a trap: go back only with the authorities' approval, using the recommended routes^[2].
• Your travel may be affected. If you plan to travel to a threatened destination, confirm with your carrier: itineraries may be disrupted^[4].

Read the terms of your contract, ask your host and your insurer in writing what is covered, and check with local authorities the rules that apply to your area.

Checklist Before Leaving or Settling In

• Contact the local civil protection agency to learn the risks of the area and the shelters.
• Make your civil protection plan and gather water, canned food, medication, and clothing.
• Keep your important documents in a waterproof bag, within easy reach^[5].
• Keep the contacts for your accommodation, your loved ones, and your embassy within reach.
• For French residents: register with the Registre des Français établis hors de France and obtain the contact details of your chef d'îlot.
• Review the cancellation conditions of your booking and the coverage of your insurance.