Stock up your pantries and get your umbrellas ready, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its forecasters' predictions of an above-normal hurricane season for 2017.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 - November 30. Forecasters have predicted a:
- 45 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season
- 35 percent chance of a near-normal season
- 20 percent chance of a below-normal season
You can view a breakdown of the upcoming season, below:
Forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms (with winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (with winds of 74 mph or higher), including 2 to 4 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).
The prediction reflects NOAA's expectation of a weak or non-existent El Nino, near- or above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and average or weaker-than-average vertical wind shear in that same region
An average season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
These numbers include Tropical Storm Arlene, a rare pre-season storm that formed over the eastern Atlantic in April.
"Regardless of how many storms develop this year, it only takes one to disrupt our lives," says Acting FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. "Get ready now with... steps that will leave you better prepared and will make all the difference: Have a family discussion about what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with each other when a storm threatens; know your evacuation route; tune into your local news or download the FEMA app to get alerts, and finally – listen to local authorities as a storm approaches.”
The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active since 2012, with 15 named storms, including 7 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.