Should New York Worry About the Upcoming 2025 Hurricane Season?

Ahead of the 2025 hurricane season, the official list of storm names is finally here - as are the first predictions.

The National Hurricane Center says the first hurricane of the year will be named Andrea, followed by Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, and so forth.

If those names sound familiar, that's because the list was recycled from 2019. Currently, annual name lists are reused every six years.

However, these lists undergo slight changes when a name is retired if it coincides with a major hurricane - like Harvey, Sandy, Maria, or Katrina.

Last year, the nation reported 18 named storms. Of that number, 11 of them became hurricanes; where 5 went onto develop into or exceed Category 3 strength.

Will There Be Any Major Hurricanes in 2025?

While it is still too early to exactly tell how the upcoming hurricane season will go, initial estimates are saying great things for the upper East Coast.

The Washington Post says this year won't be as active as 2024 due to a cooler tropical Atlantic. Warm ocean waters work as jet fuel for hurricanes, so this could work in our favor.

Another prediction that's turning heads comes from WESH in Florida. The agency is out with its fairly accurate hurricane prediction map and it suggests this year could see 4 to 6 major hurricanes develop this year.

However, they say it's unlikely any of those storms will come close to the Empire State.

Last year, WESH issued a prediction map that was 85% accurate in terms of storm track and hotspots.  This year, they said, "the U.S. East Coast [will have] an at or even below average chance for landfall."

Meteorologist Eric Burris says the Gulf area will be practically the only hotspot this year.

While this forecast is welcome news to those up North, this doesn't mean the area is off the hook. In fact, this prediction should be seen as a warning the nation could see much higher gas prices this summer.

Why Gas Prices Could Skyrocket This Summer

Remember when storms like Harvey, Irma, and Rita hit refineries along the Gulf Coast?  Gas prices skyrocketed nationwide, justified by the industry rushing to get back online and repair the damage.

That could possibly happen again if a strong enough hurricane strikes the refineries.

While it is too soon to tell for certain, weather watchers say it's never a bad idea to start preparing.

Until then, more accurate hurricane predictions typically come out in late April and early May.

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