LAKELAND, Fla. -- NOAA forecasters predict 10-16 named tropical systems this upcoming hurricane season.
This is considered a near or above-average seasonal forecast, and the time is now for people along the U.S. coastline to prepare, NOAA says. It is important to note, however, the number of storms does not mean each one will make landfall and only one storm can cause significant damage.
The year 1992, for example, had just four hurricanes and only one was devastating: Hurricane Andrew.
NOAA forecasts of those 10-16 storms -- which are tropical storm strength with 39 mph winds or greater -- five to nine could become hurricanes, with winds of 74 mph or greater.
And of those, one to four could be major hurricanes. Those are ranked on a scale from Category 3-5, with winds of at least 111 mph.
An average season produces 12 named storms, with six of those hurricanes and three major hurricanes.