2024 hurricane season shatters records
AccuWeather hurricane experts predicted a supercharged 2024 season. What arrived was a deadly, explosive and historic year. Here’s a look back.
We still have a few months before hurricane season 2025 starts. But it’s not too early to start preparing in Mississippi.
The National Hurricane Center has released the names of all storms expected for 2025, marking the return of a familiar list last used in 2019. (Pacific and Atlantic hurricane seasons and storm names are different.)
One analytics firm that forecast 2024 would be the “hurricane season from hell” has issued an early prediction for this year. Take a look at how their past prediction performed, see what they say we can expect this year.
Here is what you need to know about hurricane names and what the 2025 season might look like.
How bad was the 2024 hurricane season?
The 2024 hurricane season was one of the deadliest in decades. Five hurricanes killed at least 335 people.
WeatherBell Analytics LLC issued a very early forecast in December 2023 that called for a very active 2024 hurricane season in the Atlantic basin with up to 30 named storms, up to 16 hurricanes and as many as eight major hurricanes. The impact forecast, however, called for up to 14 named storm impacts, up to 8 hurricane impacts and up to 5 major hurricane impacts.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted 17 to 25 named storms and eight to 13 hurricanes.
“We ended up with 18 named storms and 11 hurricanes, so right in the middle,” Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead for the seasonal hurricane outlook, said in a November interview with USA TODAY.
There were also five major hurricanes, according to NOAA data. Some set records. Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 in the Atlantic on record. Hurricane Milton was the most rapidly intensifying storm in the Atlantic. Hurricane Helene devastated regions that don’t normally get hurricanes and killed more than 300.
What could the 2025 hurricane season look like?
WeatherBell’s 2025 early forecast calls for a more sedate hurricane season than 2024 and compares it to 2018.
The analyst said El Niño isn’t likely to be a large factor.
“The Atlantic is much cooler than last year, and the swath of warmer water is shown to the north. This suggests less activity in the Main Development Region, but the potential for rapid feedback farther to the north and in close to the coast is there, so it will be a different look, with its own share of issues,” the forecast reads.
The predictions call for:
- Named storms: 15-19.
- Hurricanes: 7-9.
- Major Hurricanes: 2-3.
WeatherBell plans to issues a high-impact forecast map in late spring.
When does the Atlantic hurricane season start?
The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30.
Rosencrans noted that May 10 to Nov. 30 usually covers 99% of all activity for the season, though there can occasionally be some tropical activity in December.
When does the Pacific hurricane season start?
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season starts on May 15 and lasts until Nov. 30.
How are hurricane names determined?
Male and female storm names are rotated every six years from predetermined lists created by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
2025 Atlantic hurricane season storm names
Here are the 21 names for the Atlantic list:
- Andrea (AN-dree uh)
- Barry (BAIR-ree)
- Chantal (shahn-TAHL)
- Dexter (DEHK-ster): replaces Dorian, which was retired after 2019 season
- Erin (AIR-rin)
- Fernand (fair-NAHN)
- Gabrielle (ga-bree-ELL)
- Humberto (oom-BAIR-toh)
- Imelda (ee-MEHL-dah)
- Jerry (JEHR-ee)
- Karen (KAIR-ren)
- Lorenzo (loh-REN-zoh)
- Melissa (meh-LIH-suh)
- Nestor (NES-tor)
- Olga (OAL-guh)
- Pablo (PAHB-lo)
- Rebekah (reh-BEH-kuh)
- Sebastien (sus-BASH-chuhn)
- Tanya (TAHN-yuh)
- Van (van)
- Wendy (WEN-dee)
2025 Eastern Pacific hurricane season storm names
Here are the 24 names on the Eastern Pacific list:
- Alvin (AL-vin)
- Barbara (BAR-bruh)
- Cosme (COS-may)
- Dalila (dah-LY-lah)
- Erick (EHR-ik)
- Flossie (FLOSS-ee)
- Gil (gill)
- Henriette (hen-ree-ETT)
- Ivo (eye-VOH)
- Juliette (jew-lee-EHT)
- Kiko (KEE-ko)
- Lorena (low-RAY-na)
- Mario (MAR-ee-o)
- Narda (NAHR-duh)
- Octave (AHK-tayv)
- Priscilla (prih-SIH-luh)
- Raymond (RAY-mund)
- Sonia (SOHN-yah)
- Tico (TEE-koh)
- Velma (VELL-muh)
- Wallis (WAHL-lis)
- Xina (ZEE-nah)
- York (york)
- Zelda (ZEL-dah)
Contributing: Saleen Martin
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
