Following last year’s tumultuous and costly Atlantic hurricane season, researchers at Colorado State University say you should expect above average activity this hurricane season.
Early predictions indicate there will be 14 named storms and a greater than normal chance of a major system striking the U.S., Bloomberg reports, citing the forecast from CSU’s Tropical Meteorology Project. Last year’s brutal hurricane season saw Hurricanes Havey, Irma and Maria help drive up total losses to more than $215 billion.
Seven storms could become hurricanes this year and three major systems may reach Category 3 or stronger on the five-step, Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the forecast. There’s a 63% chance the continental U.S. will get hit by a major hurricane, compared with the 20th Century average of 52%.
One year ago, researchers predicted 11 named storms, with four becoming hurricanes and two major systems. Instead, there were 17 storms, 10 hurricanes and six major systems including Irma, Harvey and Maria.
