Forecasters from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration are calling for near- to above-normal activity during the Atlantic hurricane season this year. The agency is calling for 10 to 16 named storms, and five to nine hurricanes. Of those, one to four could become major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher.
An average Atlantic Basin hurricane season, which kicks off June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, generally sees 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. In 2017, the Atlantic Basin hurricane season experienced 17 named storms, 10 of which became hurricanes and six of which were major hurricanes.

The possibility of the development of a weak El Niño, along with near-average sea surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, are driving NOAA's outlook.
El Niño, which is the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters, occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months.
Meanwhile, The Weather Co. is projecting a more subdued Atlantic Basin hurricane season this year, with 12 named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes, down slightly from its prior monthly forecast.
"The large-scale picture for the upcoming Atlantic tropical season is now even less supportive of an active season than it was a month ago. North Atlantic waters have continued to cool, relative to normal, due to a stronger-than-normal sub-tropical high pressure area," Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Co., said in a May 22 update.
The current storm season could begin early with the potential formation of Tropical Storm Alberto over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. According to AccuWeather.com, the Southeast is at risk of possible flooding from Alberto, which has become better organized over the eastern Yucatan Peninsula.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to one of the main energy infrastructure hubs in the U.S. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production accounts for 17% of total U.S. crude oil production, while offshore natural gas output in the Gulf accounts for 5% of total U.S. dry production. Over 45% of total U.S. petroleum refining capacity is along the Gulf coast, as well as 51% of total U.S. natural gas processing plant capacity.
