Hurricane forecasters are, once again, predicting a busier-than-average hurricane season for the East Coast in 2025.

AccuWeather forecasts are predicting a “dynamic” 2025 season, said lead forecaster Alex DaSilva. Forecasters currently think 13 to 18 named storms could affect the East Coast. Of those, 7 to 10 could become hurricanes and a handful become major storms with sustained wind speeds reaching 111 mph or greater. Using analog years, or years with similar environmental conditions, the team can create a prediction of how this year may go.

“These are the areas that we’re concerned with: right around the northern Gulf Coast, the Big Bend of Florida, the west coast of Florida, and then getting up into the Carolinas as well, especially the Outer Banks of North Carolina,” DaSilva said. “This could mean that we could be seeing a lot of recurving systems that clip the North Carolina coastline or South Carolina coastline before continuing to move to the north and to the east.”

Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November.

Researchers at Colorado State University have released their forecast for the season, predicting 17 named storms. Of the named storms, researchers forecast nine to become hurricanes, and four could reach “major” hurricane strength, which is a Category 3 or higher. The team predicts 2025 hurricane activity will be about 125% of the average season from 1991 to 2020. About half the storms could make landfall in the United States, and forecasters said there is a 26% chance that one will make landfall on the East Coast.

Last year, the CSU team predicted 2024 hurricane activity would be about 170% of the average season from 1991-2020, but by the end of the season, the actual percentage was about 130%. By comparison, 2023’s hurricane activity was about 120% of the average season.

The Atlantic basin finished the 2024 season with 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five intensified to major hurricanes. Five hurricanes made landfall in the continental U.S., with two storms making landfall as major hurricanes.

“So far, the 2025 hurricane season is exhibiting characteristics similar to 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2017,” said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU and lead author of the report.

The Weather Company, which runs The Weather Channel, partnered with the forecast team at Atmospheric G2 for its predictions. Currently, they predict 19 storms to form in 2025, nine of which will become hurricanes and four of which will reach Category 3 status or stronger.

While still above average, predictions for 2025 are less severe than conditions going into the 2024 hurricane season. Like in years past, warm water (which acts as fuel for tropical storms) will be a major factor for storm development.

“It’s likely going to be much of the same thing — above-average temperatures,” DaSilva said. “2024 was basically the warmest year we had on record for the Atlantic basin, and this year’s tracking a little bit below that right now. It’s still likely to be a top five, if not a top three, year for sea-surface temperatures across the Atlantic, and that can yield rapid intensification.”

La Nina could also be on the way out, DaSilva said. La Nina is a climate pattern that typically cools sea-surface temperatures along the equator and dampens wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean and was cited as a concern ahead of the season last year. Wind shear is the enemy of tropical systems, so it typically allows storms to form and stay strong. Toward the later part of this season, DaSilva said, there’s evidence to suggest that the end of the season could lean toward a neutral weather pattern. A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic combined with neutral conditions typically provide a more conducive environment for hurricane formation and intensification.

This week marks Hurricane Preparedness Week, and forecasters at the National Weather Service are encouraging the public to get ahead of prepping for potential storms. This includes identifying emergency evacuation routes, assembling disaster supplies and preparing their homes before the season begins.

Hurricane preparation tips

—Have a go bag ready to take things with you if you need to leave in a hurry.

—Trim trees around your home before a storm to prevent damage from broken branches.

—Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family a minimum of three days.

—Have extra cash, a battery-powered radio and flashlights. You may need a portable crank or solar-powered USB charger for cellphones.

—Write down a hurricane plan and share it with your family. Determine family meeting places, including an out-of-town location in case of evacuation.

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