Forecasters are predicting the largest number of storms ever for the Atlantic hurricane season, putting tens of millions of Americans at risk.
This year’s Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be extremely active, putting tens of millions of Americans in the eastern half of the country at risk from flooding and damaging winds, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warn. The increased activity is partially caused by abnormally warm ocean temperatures driven by climate change.
Forecasters expect 17 to 25 storms to form in the Atlantic between June 1 and the end of November. At least 8 of those are forecast to be full-blown hurricanes, as opposed to weaker tropical storms. And 4 to 7 are expected to be major hurricanes, with winds powerful enough to uproot trees, destroy mobile homes and damage other buildings.
It’s the largest number of storms ever forecast for the Atlantic, and is well above the average of 14 storms that usually occur in a given hurricane season.
“This season is looking to be an extraordinary one,” says Rick Spinrad, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which houses the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricanes have caused massive damage and killed hundreds of people in the United States in recent years, as climate change makes powerful storms more common. Four of the last five years have had an above-average number of storms. In 2022, Hurricane Ian killed more than 150 people and caused more than $110 billion dollars in damage when it hit Florida, and leveled entire neighborhoods in and around the city of Fort Myers.
