[image-caption title="Lineworkers%20from%20Laurens%20Electric%20Cooperative%20in%20South%20Carolina%20restore%20power%20after%20Hurricane%20Helene%20in%20September%202024.%20(Photo%20By%3A%20Jake%20James%2FVista%20View%20Productions)%20" description="%20" image="%2Fnews%2FPublishingImages%2FLEC%2009-30-24%20Jake%20James%20Vista%20View%20Productions%20(2).jpg" /]
Federal weather forecasters are warning of an above-average hurricane season this year with up to 10 hurricanes—half of which could become major storms that bring ferocious winds of 111 mph or higher, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
The agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, six to 10 are predicted to become hurricanes, defined by wind speeds of 74 mph or more. Half of those hurricanes—three to five—could develop into major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.
NOAA is providing these forecasts of storm ranges with 70% confidence in its outlook.
The hurricanes could affect electric cooperative communities beyond those along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
“As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities,” said Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm.
NOAA based its prediction on several factors, including warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, reduced trade winds and the potential for higher activity from the West African Monsoon, a primary starting point for Atlantic hurricanes.
High ocean temperatures provide more energy to fuel storms while weaker winds allow those storms to develop without disruption, NOAA officials explained.
“In my 30 years at the National Weather Service, we’ve never had more advanced models and warning systems in place to monitor the weather,” said NOAA National Weather Service Director Ken Graham.
“This outlook is a call to action: be prepared. Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you're ready before a storm threatens."
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will update its 2025 forecast in early August, before the expected peak of hurricane season.
