The United States’ Atlantic coast witnessed immense devastation during the 2024 hurricane season, and this year is predicted to be no different.
In March, AccuWeather reported that as temperatures rise, hurricane specialists have cautioned about “several similarities to last year’s historic and destructive” hurricane season.
US to see early storms in May
Some experts think that early storms in May could occur due to “exceptionally warm water temperatures expected across much of the Atlantic basin.” The hurricane season in the US normally lasts from June 1 to November 30.
“Everyone needs to start planning and preparing for hurricane season. Climatology, weather patterns, water temperatures, and many other factors all point to yet another active Atlantic hurricane season with more tropical storms and hurricanes forming, compared to the historical average,” stated Jonathan Porter, the AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist.
Of the 18 storms that were named in 2024, five turned into major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher), and 11 formed hurricanes.
Compared to previous year, Porter said that they anticipate fewer named storms in 2025. A hurricane season is primarily defined by the effects on land and populated regions, not by the actual number of hurricanes, he added.
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What we know about Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton
AccuWeather researchers projected that the cumulative damage and financial damage from the two major storms that hit the United States in 2024 –Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton — surged to $500 billion.
“We estimate that hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms, and impacts from extreme temperatures over the past 13 months have had a combined total damage and economic loss estimated at $693 billion to $799 billion,” Porter told AccuWeather.
One of the factors contributing to severe weather was identified as climate change, since rising temperatures foster conditions that make storms more prevalent and powerful. Climate Expert and Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson of AccuWeather highlighted human-caused climate change, stating that “the burning of fossil fuels is contributing to the greenhouse effect, which results in oceans absorbing and storing more excess heat.”
Anderson cautioned that increased storm surges in coastal regions, inland flooding, and increasing sea levels can all result from climate change.
