The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-normal year with 13-20 named storms.
According to NOAA May 20 press release, 6-10 storms are predicted to become hurricanes, 3-5 of which are expected to be major hurricanes with winds in excess of 111 mph. (This prediction is based on NOAA’s “new normal”—in April, they adjusted their “average” Atlantic hurricane season to 14 named storms with 7 hurricanes—up from 12 and 6 respectively. See ‘Average’ Atlantic hurricane season to reflect more storms for details.) The NOAA National Hurricane Center website provides regularly updated hurricane information, including new experimental storm surge maps in tropical cyclone advisories. (See the National Weather Service Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches, Warnings, Advisories and Outlooks web page for information on the difference between watches and warnings for hurricanes and tropical storms.) Now that hurricane season is here, it is time to get prepared and stay prepared for these storms. CZM’s Hurricane Preparedness Kit provides information on protecting yourself and your home, boat, and more, and CZ-Tip - The Complete Guide to Online Hurricane Tracking for Massachusetts covers how to monitor storms heading this way. The Hurricane Safety Tips page from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency also provides excellent Massachusetts-specific resources, including links to Be Informed and Receive Emergency Alerts, with details on how to access multiple methods of emergency alerts, and Hurricane Evacuation Zones, which provides maps and other information to help determine if you live or work in an evacuation zone and what to do when evacuating.