Another above-average hurricane season will threaten the Atlantic this y
ear, with as many as six stor
ms 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 e
xpected to become hurricanes with winds of at least 74 miles (119 kilometers) pe
r hour, AccuWeather said Wednesday.
Out of that hurricane total, the commercial forecaster predicts three to fi
ve may become major storms with winds of 111 mph or more. Last year, severa
l hurricanes hit the US Gulf Coast, bringing devastation from Texas to Florida and across the southern Appalachians
. A typical six-month Atlantic season, which begins June 1, usuall
y consists of about 14 storms that are named when their organization and winds reach tropical-storm strength.
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The Atlantic season is closely followed because the storms can shake e
nergy, agriculture and financial markets, as well as create political pitfalls for elected officials. Hurricane Helene last year killed
at least 249 people across the southeastern US and southern Appalachians, m
aking it the deadliest storm to strike the contiguous US since Katrina in 2005, acco
rding to the US National Hurricane Center.
Photo: Homes surrounded by floodwater after Hurricane Beryl made la
ndfall in Sargent, Texas, on July 8, 2024. Photo credit: Eddie Seal/Bloomberg