The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season today, predicting “above-normal” storm activity. The news comes amid concerns that sweeping staff cuts and policy shifts may impact the agency’s preparedness.
A total of 13 to 19 named storms could form in the Atlantic basin this year, Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), said during the Thursday news briefing in Gretna, Louisiana. Of those, six to 10 are expected to strengthen into hurricanes, and three to five could become “major” hurricanes—Category 3, 4, or 5.
If this forecast comes to fruition, it would mark the ninth consecutive year of above-average storm activity in the Atlantic basin, primarily driven by rising ocean temperatures.
Last year, the season saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes. Five intensified to major hurricanes, including Category 4 Helene and Category 5 Milton, which made landfall in the U.S. within two weeks of each other and devastated large swaths of the Southeast.
Based on NOAA’s forecast, the 2025 season could be similar. But this time around, the agency will be working with a significantly reduced staff. The NWS alone has lost more than 10% of its workforce since the Trump administration took office, CBS News reported.
Despite this, Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm said the National Hurricane Center (NHC)—an arm of the NWS—is “fully staffed and ready to go,” emphasizing that forecasting is a top priority both for NOAA and the Trump administration.
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