The 2025 hurricane season was devastating. Will 2026 be calmer?

S. East Coast taken Aug. 20, 2025. (Image credit: NOAA Satellites)

There might have only been thirteen named storms for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, but it only takes one storm to devastate communities in its path.Mother Nature conjured up five hurricanes last year, with four reaching major hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. One of them, Hurricane Melissa, made landfall over Jamaica in October 2025 as one of the strongest hurricanes ever. It led to 95 deaths and over $12 billion in damages in Jamaica alone. In total, the 2025 hurricane season led to 125 total fatalities and $12.7 billion worth of damage.Thankfully, forecasters at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Weather Service (NWS) predict a below-normal number of named storms in the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season. The Atlantic basin hurricane season kicks off on June 1 and runs all the way through Nov. 30, and within that time frame, NOAA's outlook includes a forecast that would include a 55% chance of the season coming in below-normal.With a confidence range that sits at 70% by the agency, the prediction would be for 8-14 storms that become named, with 3-6 of those reaching hurricane status (where winds reach 74 miles per hour, or 119 kilometers per hour) and anywhere from 1-3 strengthening into a major hurricane (a minimum Category 3).To put that into perspective, an average season would typically have 14 named storms including seven hurricanes, with three of those being major. So, there is still the potential for an average hurricane season if it's on the higher end. And, no matter how many storms develop, NOAA says it's ready for whatever comes our way."NOAA's rapid integration of advanced technology, including AI-based weather models, drones, and next-generation satellite data will deliver actionable science to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the American people," NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs, Ph.D. said in a release. "These new capabilities, combined with the unmatched expertise of our National Weather Service forecasters, will produce the most accurate forecasts possible to protect communities in harm's way."