Hurricane season begins June 1

June 1 is the start of hurricane season, but the tropics have already been active.

Arlene formed up in the Atlantic Ocean in April while we’re already on the second named storm in the Eastern Pacific. Adrian was named in early May while Beatriz became a tropical storm on day one of hurricane season.

The season runs from June 1 until Nov. 30, but it’s not uncommon for storms to form up before the season begins.

The last three years have seen some of these preseason storms, including Tropical Storm Arlene (2017), Hurricane Alex (January 2016) and Tropical Storm Ana (May 2015).

Even though storms can form outside of the typical season and anywhere from June through November, most of the action occurs in August, September and October. This year is expected to have an above average number of named storms.

Generally, there are 12 total named storms based on a 30-year average. For 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting between 11-17 storms.

On average, six of the storms are hurricanes and three are a category three or higher. NOAA is expecting between five to nine hurricanes in 2017 with two to four of them as a category three or higher.

This year is also a memorable one for many people. October marks the fifth anniversary since Superstorm Sandy bashed the East Coast. Damage ranged from storm surge and high winds to heavy snow across the Appalachians. Sandy is considered the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Cox Media Group