Tropical cyclones recurrently disturb ecosystems in the North American Coastal Plain. Longleaf pine savannas and woodlands, the core ecosystem of this global hotspot, are resistant and resilient to these disturbances. Nonetheless, more frequent and intense hurricanes pose a risk to the conservation of these ecosystems, especially given altered fire regimes.

These ecosystems have been reduced to <5% of their historic extent, are highly fragmented, and are of major conservation significance. Hurricanes of increasing magnitude, coupled with the lack of remaining habitat and altered fire regimes, threaten their persistence. In this work, we review hurricane ecology, summarize risk factors across scales, and detail the need for planning and management actions that anticipate future frequent and intense hurricanes.