Forecasters are calling for a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year. There is a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center’s 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast. NOAA’s forecast calls for 12 to 17 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher, with five to nine of those possibly becoming hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, and one to four possibly becoming major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher. 

When a hurricane or tropical storm threatens to make landfall in the U.S. or its territories, the USGS has a suite of comprehensive scientific capabilities that can inform decision-makers, emergency managers and communities as they prepare for, respond to and recover from a storm. This includes the USGS’s ability to forecast coastal change; track storm surge and coastal flooding; measure river levels and flow and inland flooding across entire regions; determine the extent floodwaters may have spread non-native species; and coordinate and provide access to hazards data, tools, imagery, elevation data, maps, and other pertinent information used by local, state, and federal agencies responding to storms.

With the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially started, the USGS will be sharing a weekly series through early July highlighting USGS hurricane science that could be used to inform decisions that can help keep people and communities safe. Topics will include:

• Storm tide poses one of the most serious threats to people and infrastructure
• Changes to the coastline can affect where, and how severely flooding occurs
• Hurricanes may pose a threat to people along the coasts and far inland
• Hurricanes can spread invasive species
• Determining how high flood waters reached helps communities prepare for future floods
• Maps and imagery for hurricane response

Come back next week to learn about storm tide, why it’s dangerous and how USGS science provides valuable data to forecasters, scientists and decision-makers that can help them better understand this devastating force.

Learn more about USGS hurricane science.

* Editor's note: The gif at the top of the page shows Hurricane Ian making its first U.S. landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa September 28, 2022, bringing with it extreme storm surge, category 4 winds and a deluge of rain. Ian made a second U.S. landfall September 30, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina. Photos by NOAA.  

Be Prepared for the 2023 Hurricane Season!

For information on how to prepare for hurricanes, or a range of other disasters and emergencies, visit ready.gov or listo.gov for Spanish. For more information about USGS science or hurricanes, visit these websites: 

USGS Hurricanes – USGS hurricane science and outreach products for current and past storms

USGS Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms – Provides information on coastal change 

USGS National Water Dashboard – Allows easy access to local flood and weather info on a smartphone or computer 

USGS Flood Information – Provides information about current and past flooding

USGS WaterAlert - Sends email or text message updates from the USGS streamgage of your choice 

USGS WaterWatch - Provides current USGS water data for the nation 

USGS Flood Event Viewer – Provides convenient, map-based access to downloadable event-based data

USGS Flood and Storm Tracker Maps – Allows users to view online maps of where storms might have spread non-native aquatic species

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center - Offers information about current or past hurricanes

The USGS provides science for a changing world. Learn more at www.usgs.gov or follow us on Facebook @USGeologicalSurvey, YouTube @USGS, Instagram @USGS, or Twitter @USGS.