The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially began Wednesday with researchers predicting an "above-normal" year and forecasters already keeping an eye on one system that could become the first named storm of the season.
The hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
HURRICANE SEASON
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's averages for the Atlantic hurricane season is 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. The average for major hurricanes is three.
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Last month, NOAA released their predictions for this year, calling for an "above-normal" 2022 with 14-21 named storms expected.
Of those named storms, six to ten are expected to be hurricanes and three to six could be major hurricanes, NOAA officials said.
NOAA's updated predictions will be issued in August, before the peak of hurricane season.
In April, researchers at the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project released their predictions for the 2022 season, also saying it will likely be above-average, with 19 named storms and nine hurricanes, including four major hurricanes.
Forecasters are already keeping their eyes on a potential system in the Gulf of Mexico that could become the first named system of 2022.
Unlike the previous seven years, there wasn't a named storm before the official start of the season in 2022.
The past couple hurricane seasons have seen large numbers of named storms, and if 2022 is above-normal, it would be the seventh consecutive year it's been above-normal.
The 2021 season was the third-most active season on record, with 21 named storms and seven hurricanes.
The most destructive storm of 2021 was category 4 Hurricane Ida, which came ashore near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on August 29. When Ida made landfall, maximum sustained winds were estimated around 150 mph.
Ida was the second-most-intense hurricane to strike Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Just a small number of storms made landfall in Florida in 2021. The first was Elsa, which became an 85 mph hurricane at its peak but made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a weaker 65 mph tropical storm on July 8.
The 2020 season was record-breaking, with 30 named storms and 13 hurricanes, including six major hurricanes. It was only the second time the Greek alphabet was utilized to complete a season.
After that season, the Greek alphabet was discontinued and a list of supplemental names is now used.
For Floridians looking to prepare, the state's hurricane tax holiday will be in effect until June 10.
