Barbadians are being urged not to lower their guard despite forecasts of a quieter Atlantic hurricane season this year, with officials warning that a single storm could still cause severe damage.

Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services, Sabu Best, cautioned that it only takes one hurricane to cause devastation, as the Department of Emergency Management launched the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season on Monday.

Forecasts from most international agencies suggest that hurricane activity across the Atlantic basin will be average to below average this year, Best said.