Hurricane Information

Storm Update
[UPDATE 08-28-2023 at 10:20 a.m.]

The Authority is currently tracking Tropical Storm Idalia. It’s projected that Palm Beach County will receive heavy rain and gusty winds throughout the day on Tuesday and Wednesday, but no tropical storm force winds are currently forecast for any SWA facilities. As of now, all facilities and the SWA Greenway Trail system will remain open and operational as normal. We’ll continue to monitor the storm and provide updates as warranted.

The PBC Emergency Operations Center is at Level IV - Normal Operations.

To keep up to date on Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County openings and actions related to this storm, visit the SWA’s:

• Website - SWA.org/Hurricane
• Facebook page - facebook.com/SolidWasteAuthority
• Twitter page - twitter.com/SWAPBC

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 - Nov. 30. Read the current Atlantic 5-Day Graphical Tropical Outlook from the National Hurricane Center.

Below are commonly used terms during hurricane season as defined by the National Hurricane Center. A full list of their definitions is available online: 

Hurricane Season:
The hurricane season in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico runs from June 1 to November 30.

Hurricane Warning:
An announcement that sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots or 119 km/hr) or higher are expected within 36 hours.

Hurricane Watch:
An announcement that sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots or 119 km/hr) or higher are possible within 48 hours.

Major Hurricane:
A hurricane that is classified as Category 3 or higher.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale:
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 categorization based on the hurricane's wind intensity at the indicated time. The following table shows the scale broken down by winds:

A detailed description of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is available online.