Forecasters are calling for an above average hurricane season this year, which could mean 2022 might be the seventh above-average season in a row. There is a 65% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center’s  2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast. NOAA’s forecast calls for 14 to 21 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher, with six to 10 of those possibly becoming hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, and three to six 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, river and stream levels and flow; measure coastal 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 2022 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 if they survive the ride
• 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 help understand this devastating force.

* Editor's note: The image at the top shows Hurricane Henri on August 21, 2021, moving northward toward New England where it made landfall as a tropical storm August 22, 2021, in Rhode Island.

Be Prepared for the 2022 Hurricane Season!

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

USGS Hurricanes – USGS Hurricane related 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 messages 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