The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an "above-normal" 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, 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, according to NOAA administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad, who delivered the outlook during a virtual media briefing Tuesday.
"It's never too early to prepare for the devastating impacts of hurricanes," Spinrad said. "It's crucial to remember that it only takes one storm to damage your home, neighborhood and community."
June 1 marks the official start of the hurricane season, which runs through November 30.
NOAA's updated predictions will be issued in August, before the peak of hurricane season.
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Last month, 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.
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NOAA's averages for the Atlantic hurricane season is 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. The average for major hurricanes is three.
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, Spinrad said.
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.
