Scientists sound the alarm over the looming 2025 hurricane season: 'An above-average probability'

Using information released by AccuWeather, USA Today reported that the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could be deadly.

What's happening?

In late March, AccuWeather forecasters released their 2025 Atlantic hurricane season predictions. There will be 13-18 named storms this year, with "multiple impacts on the United States." And they'll be extreme — storms only get names when their winds reach 39 mph.

This is above the average of 14.4 named storms, which was calculated using data from 1991 to 2020, per a Colorado State University report released in early April. It cited "warmer than normal" sea surface temperatures.

On the bright side, this year's hurricane season may not be as bad as last year's. 2024 had 18 named storms and marked the deadliest hurricane season since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

This is part of a larger pattern of increasingly extreme weather, brought about by humans and proved by scientists.

Why does the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season matter?

For 2025, CSU predicted "an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean." This could compound the havoc wreaked by the 2024 hurricanes.

Watch now: How did Hurricane Helene wreak havoc so far inland?

For example, Hurricane Helene created over $78 billion in damages alone. Residents of upstate South Carolina were dealing with damage for months after the fact, cleaning up debris and fixing their homes into the new year.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions calls this phenomenon "one of the most visible consequences of a warming world." As the planet continues to heat, extreme weather events such as Hurricane Helene will only get worse.

What's being done about it?

Organizations are supporting those who weather natural disasters and advocating for greener climate policies. For example, Extreme Weather Survivors gives victims free bilingual support.

Though slowing extreme weather events will require policy changes to reduce the pollution caused by the burning of dirty energy that is warming the planet, you can still play your part. Start by donating to climate causes or driving more efficiently, which limits the heat-trapping gases you release into the atmosphere.