Hurricane season officially starts on Thursday, June 1 — but knowing what to expect is still a bit up in the air.
Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) call for equal chances of 'above normal' and 'below normal' hurricane seasons.
"NOAA’s outlook for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season," according to the agency.
"NOAA is forecasting a range of 12 to 17 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges."
NOAA also has released the list of names being used for storms this year (and for the next several years).
For information on how to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, visit Fairfax County's storm preparedness page.
