3 days ago
Hurricane Season Is Starting. Here's Everything to Know.
June 1 is the first day of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean, the official start of a six-month period that can bring some of the most destructive and costly natural disasters to American shores.
Here's what you need to know to be prepared.
Forecasters think this will be an above-average season.
In an average season, there are 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. A storm gets a name when its winds reach 39 miles per hour. It becomes a hurricane if it reaches 74 m.p.h., and a major hurricane — Category 3 or above — at 111 m.p.h.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the National Weather Service, said that it expected between 13 and 19 named storms in 2025. Six to 10 of them could become hurricanes, and three to five of those could become major hurricanes. NOAA's forecast was in line with other predictions, like one from Colorado State University in April.
NOAA will issue an updated forecast in August, just before the season's activity typically peaks.
A lot of factors go into making a seasonal forecast, and it can be wrong. But as the chart below shows, the predictions have generally grown more accurate over the last 20 years.
Hurricanes predicted in the North Atlantic
Counts are based on outlooks made each May and do not include revisions made in August.
Source: National Weather Service
By John Keefe
Is that better or worse than last year?
That will depend on how many hurricanes there are, how many hit land and what happens when they do. And there is a consensus among scientists that hurricanes are becoming more powerful because of climate change.
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