Another above-average hurricane season will threaten the Atlantic this yea
r, with as many as six storms affecting the US, AccuWeather Inc. said.
Between 13 and 18 st
orms will at least reach tropical storm strength, and seven to 10 of those are
expected to become hurrica
nes with winds of at least
74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour, AccuWeather said Wednesday.
Out of that hurrica
ne total, the commercial forecaster predicts three to five may become major stor
ms with winds of 111 mph or more. Last year, several hurricanes hit the US Gulf
Coast, bringing devastation from Texas to Florida and across the southern App
alachians. A typical six-month Atlantic season, which begins June 1, usually co
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nsists of about 14 storms that are named when their organization and winds re
ach tropical-storm strength.
The Atlantic season is
closely followed because the storms can shake energy, agriculture and financial
markets, as well as create political pitfalls for elected officials. Hurricane Helene l
ast year killed at least 249 people across the southe
astern US and southern Appalachians, making it the deadliest storm to strike the c
ontiguous US since Katrina in 2005, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Photo: Homes surroun
ded by floodwater after Hurricane
Beryl made landfall in Sargent, Texas, on July 8, 2024. Photo credit: Eddie Seal/Bloomberg
